title: [Urinary lithiasis. The patient also plays.]
abstract: Renal lithiasis is known for its high incidence and prevalence, but mainly for its morbidity and recurrence. Despite a good indication and appropriate surgical treatment, the essential problem, the origin of the formation of the stones, generally persists and it is not uncommon that patients suffer multiple treatments and discomfort secondary to ancillary measures normally used to prevent complications. It is widely known, for consistency, that a prophylactic treatment with general or, in a smaller group of patients, specific measures are appropriate to diminish recurrences. Nevertheless, prophylaxis is not usually used by many urologists and, on top of that, in the majority of those cases when it is taken into consideration, it is the patient who fails for inadequate treatment compliance. It is very important, in any of our conversations with the urinary lithiasis' patient in relation with the disease, that the urologist provides a proper and detailed information about all its features, from diagnosis to active treatment and possible complications and, of course in those cases where prophylaxis is going to be essential to avoid new unpleasant episodes of pain and associated surgical interventions, emphasizing that improving his/her quality of life depends, to a great extent, on the patient himself. In this article, considering the existing evidence and personal experience, we intend to detail those behaviors we should take into consideration to facilitate the patient both therapeutic decisions and a positive attitude towards his/her disease, with the aim to control it in the best possible way.
authors.affiliation: Hospital Universitario del Vinalopó. Elche. Alicante. España.
authors.forename: Juan Antonio
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Galán Llopis
authors.affiliation: Hospital Universitario del Vinalopó. Elche. Alicante. España.
authors.forename: Aleixandre
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vergés Prósper
authors.affiliation: Hospital Universitario del Vinalopó. Elche. Alicante. España.
authors.forename: Helena
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Pérez-Seoane Ballester
authors.affiliation: Hospital Universitario del Vinalopó. Elche. Alicante. España.
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Escudero Fontano
authors.affiliation: Hospital Universitario del Vinalopó. Elche. Alicante. España.
authors.forename: Leonardo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tortolero Blanco
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D010349:Patient Compliance; D010358:Patient Participation; D052878:Urolithiasis / Q000628:therapy*