Dr Lisa Ruml answers:
If a patient with cystinuria is able to prevent stones, or at least produce and pass stones without resulting in blockage of the urinary tract, there should be no cause for reduced life span. Many patients never develop renal insufficiency (poorly functioning kidneys), particularly if they are compliant with their fluid regimen. If kidney damage does not occur, and in the absence of other complicating medical problems, then life expectancy is the same as in someone without cystinuria. If the kidneys become chronically blocked, function may worsen; if they become chronically infected, they sometimes have to be removed. If patients do end up on dialysis or receive a transplant, then they may have complications of those procedures and perhaps not do well. Like any patient on dialysis or with a transplant, serious and sometimes fatal complications are more likely than in an otherwise healthy person.