Quality of life research in urology - Worth the effort?

In general, the primary goal of medical treatment is the assurance of survi val, followed by the avoidance of future health problems, and only thereaft er, the quality of life. Nevertheless, the improved effectiveness and the d iverse possibilities of modern medical treatment have let quality of life b ecome increasingly significant for the medical business. Because urologic d iseases are often detrimental for a patient's quality of life, it is an esp ecially important area of research for quality of life. On the other hand, substantial contributions have already been made in quality of life researc h in the field of urology. In the following overview, this will be shown wi th three examples: kidney transplant, prostate carcinoma, and urinary diver sion. In each of the three areas, specific restrictions in quality of life are shown which vary with the type of treatment and co-morbidities.