CONJUNCTIVAL AUTOGRAFTING IN THE SURGICAL-MANAGEMENT OF PTERYGIUM

In a retrospective survey of 117 operations for primary or recurrent p terygium, conjunctival autografting was compared with both excision wi thout conjunctival closure ('bare sclera excision') and excision with complete conjunctival closure. The probability of corneal recurrence a t 36 months after surgery was determined by survival curve analysis. I n previously unoperated cases conjunctival autografting (n = 15) resul ted in a 14% probability of recurrence, compared with 70% for bare scl era excision (n = 50) and 69% for excision with complete conjunctival closure (n = 20). In previously operated cases conjunctival autografti ng (n = 17) resulted in a 7% probability of recurrence, compared with 82% for bare sclera excision (n = 15). Hazard ratio analysis confirmed the statistical significance of these results at the 95% confidence l evel. Conjunctival autografting was more likely to produce an improvem ent in visual acuity than other forms of surgery.