PURPOSE: To know characteristics and difficulties to access patients' treatment selected to keratoplasty in community projects carried out in a university hospital in São Paulo. METHODS: A questionnaire was applied on patients in two keratoplasty campaigns performed by the hospital. Was analyzed the following variables: gender, age, income, education, number of previous ophthalmologists 'appointment, visual acuity in the better eye, diagnosis, indication for keratoplasty, knowledge about it, the eye disease and the existence of limitations on lifestyle and possible complications after surgery, expectation of rehabilitation, among others. RESULTS: Most of the 99 patients interviewed (57.8%) had left the job because of visual difficulty and dependent on outside help for everyday activities. From the 90 patients who already had early indication of a keratoplasty (91.0%), half of them had not even managed to join the list of eye banks. From the patients with previous indication for keratoplasty, 18.9% didn't know what was their eye problem, 27.8% didn't know what was keratoplasty, 18.7% were not aware of possible complications during and after the surgery and 32, 2% ignored the existence of limitations in lifestyle after surgery. CONCLUSION: The patients' unknowledge about their condition and treatment is clear. It is extremely important to emphasize that to obtain a satisfactory surgical result, there is a need of an appropriate patient selection and guidance about their eye problem, the proposed surgery, care and risk per and post operative as well as the visual rehabilitation perspective.
Keratoplasty; Waiting lists; knowledge; Health attitudes and practice; Questionnaires
