CONJUNCTIVAL AUTOGRAFT FOR PTERYGIUM SURGERY - HOW WELL DOES IT PREVENT RECURRENCE

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: The efficacy of the surgical management of p terygium with conjunctival autograft was evaluated. PATIENTS AND METHO DS: In a retrospective survey, the records of 94 consecutive patients who underwent surgery for pterygium between 1984 and 1393 were reviewe d. Only the first pterygium procedure for each patient performed at Wi lls Eye Hospital was included. The statistical technique of survival c urve analysis by the Kaplan-Meier product limit was used to analyze th e results separately after the removal of primary and recurrent pteryg ia. RESULTS: Thirty-one patients with primary pterygium underwent simp le excision. Forty patients had conjunctival autografts. The recurrenc e rates estimated at 1 year were 40% and 16%, respectively (P=.031). I n both groups, patients who were 50 years old or younger were more lik ely to have a recurrence (P=.023). All 23 patients with recurrent pter ygium had conjunctival grafts, and the estimation of recurrence at 1 y ear was 25%. No serious complications occurred in any group. CONCLUSIO N: Conjunctival autograft decreases the recurrence rate for primary pt erygium compared with simple excision.