PTERYGIUM SURGERY: DAY 1 COSMETIC OUTCOMES TO 16 YEAR FOLLOWUP

To demonstrate the long-term results of enhanced cosmetic pterygium surgery with extensive Tenonectomy, adjunctive fibrin-glued amniotic membrane transplantation (AMT), and mitomycin C (MMC). 

 

Gulani Vision Institute, Jacksonville, Florida

Retrospective chart review of patients who had pterygium surgery with AMT and MMC between January 2001 to July 2017 and had completed at least 6 months of follow-up. Early and long-term postoperative cosmetic outcomes, recurrence rate, and complications were analyzed. Cosmetic outcomes were evaluated based on patient and surgeon reported outcome measures. 

 

The study was conducted on a total of 603 eyes of 578 patients (316 males, 262 females) with an average age of 52.9 ± 15.1 years. At post-op day 1, patients reported no discomfort and could not tell which eye had surgery based on patient reported subjective grading scales. Over an average followup period of 23.1 ± 35 months (range: 6–216 15 months), there was one pterygium recurrence (0.2%), eighteen granulomas (2.9%), one self-resolving scleral melt (0.2%), one correctable restricted ocular motility (0.2%), one pupil abnormality (0.2%), one dellen (0.2%) and one correctable upper lid abnormality (0.2%). Planned laser vision correction was used for residual corneal scar in eleven eyes (1.8%) as a staged refractive approach. 

 

This study highlights an improved technique of an old concept of pterygium surgery that not only reduces the recurrence but leads to a cosmetic outcome starting day one post surgery and long term.