Estudo retrospectivo dos transplantes penetrantes de córnea da Santa Casa de Porto Alegre

Purpose: To describe the clinical and social profile of recipient patients of transplanted corneas, and to evaluate main indications for corneal transplants, waiting time for donor tissue, and percentages of success, rejection and failure of penetrating keratoplasty. Methods: Retrospective chart review of 87 patients submitted to penetrating keratoplasty at the Santa Casa of Porto Alegre, between January, 1990 and December, 1998 totalling 91 eyes. Fifty-six of these patients were called at the time of data analysis, for a clinical evaluation of the graft. Results: Of the 91 keratoplasties in 87 patients, 53 (60.9%) were performed in males and 34 (39%) in females. The age of these patients varied between 3 and 89 years, with an average of 42.3±19.8 years. The main indications for penetrating keratoplasty at this Ophthalmology Department was keratoconus in 32 (35%) eyes, bullous keratopathy (after cataract extraction, Fuchs dystrophy, etc) in 24 (26.4%), mechanical trauma in 9 (9.9%), infection in 9 (9.9%), chemical burn in 2 (2.2%), thermal burn in 1 (1.1%) and other causes in 14 (15.6%) patients. The waiting time for donor tissue was 17.3±9.9 months. Of the 91 studied keratoplasties, 25 (27.5%) presented with rejection and 12 (13.2%) patients presented corneal graft failure. Conclusions: This study showed the epidemiology of patients submitted to penetrating keratoplasties. It was not possible to analyze postoperative results and to compare them with other studies since there were no available data due to premature discharge or loss of follow-up of patients.