Cornea transplantation in Rio Grande do Norte: epidemiological and clinical aspects

Abstract

Aim: To determine the clinical and epidemiological characteristics as well  as the  distribution  of  patients  who underwent  or  are in  the  waiting list  for  corneal tissue transplantation in a main medical facility for the referred service in the state of Rio Grande do Norte. Methods: An epidemiological, quantitative, cross-sectional, descriptive and  analytical  study  comprising  all  the  patients  on  the  waiting  list  for  transplantation (n=62 patients) and the ones who underwent corneal tissue transplant surgery (n=258) in  a  specialized  health  service  center.  Results:  The  profile  of  the  patients  presented differences in relation to gender and similarities in characteristics such as age, origin and condition indicator for transplantation. T he “type of corneal disorder” variable stood out due  to  its  statistical  association  with  clinical  and  epidemiological  variables.  Conclusion: The  clinical  and  epidemiological  characterization  of  the  population  subject  to  cornea transplantation  allows  the  identification  and  inference  of  possible  risk  factors  for  this procedure with a direct relation to their survival.