Corneal transplantation: A new view of life

BACKGROUND: The consequences of a corneal transplant are evaluated and classified by care providers, but understanding and interpretation of the results varies between patients, and creates different views for them and influences their lives in different ways while these influences are largely unknown. AIM: This study aimed to explore understanding of new life in patients after corneal transplantation. METHODS: This qualitative study was conducted using a hermeneutic phenomenological approach in Tehran in 2016. Twelve corneal transplant recipients (7 men, 5 women) who were chosen purposefully from penetrating corneal transplant recipients, participated in this study. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect data. The content of the interviews was transcribed and analyzed using Van Manen’s methodology. RESULTS: Data analysis led to the emergence of several main themes, among which “having a new sense” and “fear and hope” were two of the most important themes. CONCLUSION: It can be inferred from the overall participants’ experiences that corneal transplant has brought about a new look at life for patients. However, transplant-related issues are endless and continuous, and a sense of fear and hope has always surrounded them.