Pterygium Treatment

Pterygium Excision and Conjunctival Autograft Surgery

During this procedure:

• The Pterygium is excised,
• The gap in the conjunctiva left by the removal of the Pterygium is filled with a conjunctival tissue graft (transplant from the conjunctiva underneath the upper eyelid). 
• This graft is held in place with the use of a special glue or with fine sutures
• The purpose of an autograft is to cover the bare area and the graft acts as a barrier to recurrence, however, there is still a 5% chance of recurrence despite a perfect graft placement. 

Pterygium Treatment - Surgery

Surgery for Pterygium is required if

• Affect your normal vision,
• Cause irritation, tearing and discomfort,
• Develop or increase a patient's astigmatic error,
• Cause redness in appearance,
• Contact lens interference.

Recovery After Pterygium Surgery

Following surgery, you:

• may have soreness and irritation in your eye for the first 24 hours, which can be controlled with oral analgesia
• will need to use eye drops for several weeks,
• may have redness of the eye which usually resolves over a few weeks,
• can return to your normal activities within 1 or 2 weeks after surgery.

In order to reduce the risk of recurrence, you will need to wear sunglasses all the time when you are outdoors.

What Are The Risks Associated With Pterygium Surgery?

Complications such as bleeding, infection, and decreased vision may rarely occur following Pterygium surgery.

Also, it is important to understand that there is a less than 5% recurrence risk despite successful treatment.