Surgical Outcomes Of Benign Conjuctival Lesions Treated With The Conjunctival Rotational Flap Technique.

To present the two years follow up of the conjuctival rotational flap technique for the surgical management of primary pterygium, conjuctival nevus and conjuctival intraepithelial neoplasia.

State Eye Clinic, General Hospital “G.Gennimatas” Athens

A total of twenty patients (20) had undergone the anchoring conjuctival rotational flap technique for primary pterygium (16 patients), conjuctival nevus (2 patients) and conjuctival intraepithelial neoplasia (2 patients). A flap was created from the superior adjacent conjunctiva, rotated 90 degrees downwards parallel to the corneal limbus. Two anchoring sutures (7,0 polyglactin 910) where placed at the top and the base of the flap, leaving 0,5 -1,0mm of bare sclera from the corneal limbus. The remaining conjunctiva was sutured with a continuous 7,0 polyglactin 910 suture and a therapeutic contact lens was placed. The first follow up was 10 days post—operatively with removal of sutures and contact lens, the next at 6 months and 24 months. 

One out of the sixteen pterygium patients (6, 25%) had a mild recurrence 6 months post-operatively with no progression at the 24 months follow up. There was zero recurrence rate at the conjuctival nevi and conjuctival intraepithelial neoplasia groups. The patients mentioned mild ocular irritation and hyperemia which was reduced with the contact lens wear and topical steroids use for approximately 30 days post-operatively.

The rotational conjunctival flap seems to be an efficient and safe surgical technique with excellent results both for pterygium as well as benign conjuctival lesions, with minor post-operative patient’s complaints and independent of special materials like fibrin glue and amniotic membrane.