Analysis of variation in success rates in conjunctival autografting for primary and recurrent pterygium

Subconjunctival dexamethasone-assisted conjunctival autograft harvesting versus normal saline during pterygium surgery - A randomized clinical trial

PURPOSE

To evaluate the effect of subconjunctival dexamethasone compared to normal saline on conjunctival autograft harvesting in patients undergoing pterygium surgery.

METHODS

Fifty-two eyes of 52 patients who underwent pterygium excision combined with autologous conjunctival graft (CAG) using releasable suture were included in this prospective interventional study. The patients were randomized into two groups of 26 patients each. Group A consisted of patients in whom CAG was harvested using subconjunctival 0.5 ml of 0.4% dexamethasone sodium phosphate and in group B patients, normal saline was used. The patients were assessed for postoperative pain, foreign body sensation, and watering as the subjective signs of inflammation and conjunctival inflammation and lid edema as the objective signs of inflammation at 12 and 24 h postsurgery.

RESULTS

The mean age of group A and B patients was 47.69 + 13.09 and 46.00 + 10.76 years, respectively. The male:female ratio was 1.6:1 in group A and 1.1:1 in group B. The mean surgical time in group A was 243.96 ± 52.13 s and in group B was 258.08 ± 43.99 s. Postoperative pain, foreign body sensation, and watering were significantly lower in group A patients than in group B patients at both 12 and 24 h postoperatively (group A: 4.65 ± 1.33, 4.88 ± 1.73, and 3.85 ± 1.43, respectively, at 12 h; 1.89 ± 1.03, 1.69 ± 1.09, and 1.69 ± 0.97, respectively, at 24 h and group B: 6.42 ± 0.95, 6.65 ± 0.98, and 6.27 ± 1.40, respectively, at 12 h; 3.27 ± 1.43, 3.12 ± 1.25, 2.58 ± 1.14, respectively, at 24 h) ( P < 0.001). Conjunctival inflammation was significantly lower in group A at 12 h ( P < 0.05) and 24 h ( P < 0.05) after surgery compared to group B. Lid edema failed to show any significant ( P = 0.17) difference with respect to severity in both the groups at 12 and 24 h ( P = 0.699).

CONCLUSION

Subconjunctival dexamethasone decreased patient discomfort following pterygium surgery. The dexamethasone group had reduced conjunctival inflammatory signs without any notable complications.

Modified Limbal-Conjunctival Autograft Surgical Technique: Long-Term Results of Recurrence and Complications

PURPOSE

The aim of this study was to report the recurrence and complication rates of a modified limbal-conjunctival autograft surgical technique for pterygium excision.

METHODS

This was a retrospective, single-surgeon, single-operating environment, consecutive case series of 176 eyes in 163 patients with a biopsy-proven diagnosis of pterygium. All patients underwent excision using a 23-gauge needle to "behead" the pterygium head, followed by a limbal-conjunctival autograft including ∼50% of the palisades of Vogt. Outcomes measured included recurrence, defined as any conjunctival fibrovascular growth, and complication rates. Correlations between preoperative patient characteristics, pterygium morphology, and intraoperative factors (width of corneal extension, conjunctival defect, and graft) with postoperative recurrence were examined using logistic regression models.

RESULTS

The median age was 59.5 years and 122 eyes (69.3%) had primary pterygium (type I: 17%, II: 37.5%, and III: 45.5%). Kaplan-Meier analysis demonstrated the median pterygium-free follow-up period to be 723 days (range 46-7230 days). Recurrence was observed in 3 eyes of 2 patients (1.7%). No postoperative graft-related complications were observed. Postoperative symptomatology was transient. Age demonstrated a negative correlation with recurrence (odds ratio 0.888, 95% CI, 0.789-0.998, P = 0.046). However, no other correlations with preoperative or intraoperative factors, including whether pterygium was primary or recurrent, were identified (all P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

This modified limbal-conjunctival autograft technique represents an effective alternative that offers a very low recurrence rate and avoids extensive dissection or antimetabolites, with minimal complications and transient postoperative symptomatology, over a long-term follow-up period. This technique is relatively simple and successful for both primary and recurrent pterygia. Future comparative studies with other surgical techniques may determine which are superior.

Conjunctival Autografts for Ocular Surface Reconstruction after Conjunctival Nevus Excision

PURPOSE

The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical and therapeutic outcomes of the cases where we used conjunctival autografts with and without the Tenon fascia for ocular surface reconstruction after conjunctival nevus excision.

METHODS

This study included 63 eyes of 63 patients who underwent conjunctival nevus excision between January 2013 and December 2020. Although a Tenon-free conjunctival autograft was used in 32 eyes of 32 patients in group 1, a Tenon-containing conjunctival autograft was used in 31 eyes of 31 patients in group 2. The clinical and histopathological characteristics of the nevus, complete graft epithelization, cosmetic outcomes, and postoperative complications were evaluated.

RESULTS

Conjunctival autografts were harvested from the contralateral eye in 3 eyes (9.3%) in group 1 and 2 eyes (6.4%) in group 2 ( P = 0.66). Postoperatively, the mean defect size at the harvest site was 5.3 ± 1.4 mm in group 1 and 5.5 ± 1.5 mm in group 2 ( P = 0.47). Graft edema was observed in only 1 case (3.1%) in group 1 and 6 cases (19.3%) in group 2 ( P = 0.04). Although a complete graft epithelization was observed in all eyes in group 1, fluorescein staining was present in 2 eyes (6.4%) in group 2 ( P = 0.14). Cosmetically, retracting and shrinking grafts were absent in group 1, whereas group 2 had in 4 eyes (12.9%) ( P = 0.03). Neither group had conjunctival scarring, symblepharon, eyelid cicatrization, dysmotility, or pannus at the donor site.

CONCLUSIONS

Ocular surface reconstruction with a Tenon-free conjunctival autograft after conjunctival nevus excision provides excellent cosmetic and functional results without significant complications.

ZD6474 Attenuates Fibrosis and Inhibits Neovascularization in Human Pterygium by Suppressing AKT-mTOR Signaling Pathway

Purpose: To investigate the antifibrotic effect of ZD6474 in human pterygium fibroblasts (HPFs) and angiogenesis in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) compared with mitomycin C (MMC). Methods: Pterygium and tenon fibroblasts were isolated from patients undergoing surgery to culture HPFs and human tenon fibroblasts (HTFs). The effects of ZD6474 on HPF, HTF, and HUVEC proliferation and migration were detected using CCK8 and wound-healing assays, respectively. Fibrosis and epithelial-mesenchymal transformation (EMT) were evaluated by western blotting [transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β)1/2 and snail] and immunofluorescence (vimentin and α-smooth muscle actin). The antiangiogenic effect of ZD6474 on HUVECs was assessed using a tube formation assay. To determine the potential mechanism, the expression of phosphorylated AKT (p-AKT) and phosphorylated mTOR (p-mTOR) was evaluated by treatment with ZD6474 via western blotting. Results: ZD6474 robustly inhibited the proliferation and migration of HPFs rather than HTFs compared with those in the MMC group (**P < 0.01). In HPFs, fibrosis and EMT (vimentin, TGF-β1/2, and snail) were significantly reversed by ZD6474. MMC (>50 μg/mL) significantly reduced HTF viability, whereas ZD6474 (<5 μM/mL) did not decrease HTF viability. HUVEC proliferation and migration were clearly decreased, and tube formation was notably interrupted by ZD6474. Activation of p-AKT and p-mTOR was inhibited by ZD6474 treatment of HPFs and HUVECs. Conclusion: ZD6474 is more effective than MMC in reducing fibrosis and EMT in HPFs. In addition, ZD6474 was less toxic to HTFs. ZD6474 also exhibited antiangiogenic effects in HUVECs. This study may aid in the development of novel agents to prevent pterygium recurrence after pterygium excision.

5-Fluorouracil in primary, impending recurrent and recurrent pterygium: Systematic review of the efficacy and safety of a surgical adjuvant and intralesional antimetabolite

Pterygium is an ultraviolet-related disease characterized by an aberrant, wing-shaped and active wound-healing process. There is nothing quite as disheartening for the surgeon or patient as the recurrence of pterygium, and various adjuvants have been studied to ameliorate this. This systematic review provides a comprehensive summary of the efficacy and safety of 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) as an antimetabolite agent for pterygium management. An appraisal of electronic searches of six databases identified 34 clinical studies reporting recurrence outcomes of 5-FU use in primary, impending recurrent and recurrent pterygia. In vitro and in vivo studies of 5-FU showed dose- and duration-dependent cytostatic and cytotoxic effects in human cells. 5-FU is relatively inexpensive, available, and easy to administer, making it attractive for resource-limited scenarios. However, the published evidence demonstrates a recurrence rate of 11.4-60% with the bare scleral technique, 3.5-35.8% with conjunctival rotational flaps, 3.7-9.6% with conjunctival autografts for intraoperative topical 5-FU, and 14-35.8% for preoperative and intraoperative injections. This suboptimal efficacy brings the role of 5-FU as an adjuvant for pterygium surgery into question and the authors do not recommend its use. In contrast, postoperative intralesional injections of 5-FU to arrest progression in impending recurrent pterygium and true recurrent pterygia were more promising, with success rates of 87.2-100% and 75-100%, respectively. Furthermore, 5-FU as a treatment modality, without surgery, effectively arrested progression in 81.3-96% of primary and recurrent pterygia. Other treatments such as topical and intralesional corticosteroids, cyclosporine and anti-VEGF agents are discussed. Complications of 5-FU increase with higher doses and range from transient and reversible to severe and sight-threatening. For pterygium, 5-FU has a predilection for causing scleral thinning, corneal toxicity, and graft-related complications. Additional study with extended follow-up is needed to elucidate the optimal dose, frequency, duration, and long-term safety of 5-FU injections. If 5-FU is used in the management of pterygium, it should be with caution, in selected patients and with vigilant long-term monitoring.

Donor graft harvesting with air in pterygium surgery

Purpose

Report a new technique for improvement of pterygium surgery: donor graft harvesting with air.

Case reports

We describe a technique that was used with 138 patients who underwent surgery that included a conjunctival autograft and fibrin glue with air injection to dissect the Tenon capsule from the conjunctiva.

Results

No complications occurred with this technique and all patients achieved good results.

Discussion

The surgical time with this new technique was similar to that reported in the literature. In addition, the graft thickness was close to that reported with femtosecond laser dissection and it was thinner than that reported with aesthetic/saline dissection (unable to determine statistical significance).

Conclusions and importance

With the injection of an air bubble, we could easily dissect the conjunctiva from the Tenon capsule and quickly acquire thin grafts without any additional costs or complications.

Safety and efficacy of pterygium extended removal followed by extended conjunctival transplant for recurrent pterygia

PURPOSE

To study the safety and efficacy of pterygium extended removal followed by extended conjunctival transplant for recurrent pterygia.

METHODS

Thirty-three eyes of 33 subjects with recurrent pterygia were enrolled in this prospective case series study. Pterygium extended removal followed by extended conjunctival transplantation was performed in all subjects. One surgeon (WA) performed all surgeries. All subjects completed follow-up for at least 12 months and were evaluated for recurrence and complications.

RESULTS

The mean age of the participants was 41.2 ± 10.3 years (range 22-60), 7 females (21.2%). The mean duration of follow-up was 25.64 ± 9.24 months (range 12-43). Corrected distance visual acuity (decimal notation) improved from 0.69 ± 0.22 (range 0.2-1.0) at presentation to a 1-year postoperative value of 0.83 ± 0.2 (range 0.3-1.0). No recurrence was reported in all subjects throughout the follow-up period. Transient graft swelling was recorded in 14 cases (42.4%) and resolved in all cases by the first week. All patients developed variable degrees of transient postoperative diplopia that resolved completely by the first 6 weeks. Donor site granuloma developed in 4 cases (12.1%). Spontaneous resolution was observed in 3 cases, while in one case, surgical excision was performed 2 months after the procedure.

CONCLUSIONS

In this study of eyes with recurrent pterygia, pterygium extended removal followed by extended conjunctival transplant was found safe and effective with no recurrence and minimal postoperative complications.

Comparison of Pterygium Recurrence Rates Between Attending Physicians and Supervised Trainee Residents

PURPOSE

To compare the recurrence rates after pterygium surgery performed by supervised trainee residents and attending physicians.

METHODS

This retrospective study included pterygium surgeries performed by trainee residents and attending physicians in an academic institution in South Texas in the years 2008 to 2019. All residents performed surgeries under direct supervision of an attending physician. Only primary pterygium cases with a minimum postoperative follow-up of 6 months were included. Patients' demographics, primary surgeon, use of conjunctival autograft (CAU) or amniotic membrane graft (AMG), recurrence of pterygium, follow-up length, and complications were recorded.

RESULTS

This study included 240 eyes of 229 patients with a mean age of 55.6 ± 12.3 years (range, 28-91 years). Of these eyes, 100 surgeries were performed by attending physicians (including 87 with CAU and 13 with AMG) and 140 surgeries by trainee residents (including 119 with CAU and 21 with AMG). There were no significant differences between the 2 groups of patients regarding age, sex, and surgical technique (CAU vs. AMG). Patients were followed up for an average of 19.8 ± 15.2 months. No statistically significant differences were found in comparing the rate of pterygium recurrence between attending physicians and residents when using CAU (6.8% vs. 10.0%, respectively; P = 0.42) and AMG (69.2% vs. 47.6%, respectively; P = 0.22). Moreover, there were no significant differences in other postoperative complications between the groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Pterygium recurrence rates were similar between attending physicians and supervised trainee residents. Thus, acceptable outcomes can be expected when pterygium surgery is performed by a supervised ophthalmology resident.

Facilitated Tenon-Free Conjunctival Autograft Preparation and Limited Tenon Removal Technique in Pterygium Surgery

BACKGROUND

The main complication of primary pterygium surgery is the recurrence of the pterygium. In the present study, we aimed to compare a classical technique and facilitated tenon-free conjunctival autograft preparation and a limited tenon removal technique in pterygium surgery in terms of recurrence rate, complications, and operation duration.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

This is a retrospective, comparative, observational study. Group 1 comprised 120 eyes of 115 patients who underwent pterygium excision with a new facilitated tenon-free conjunctival-limbal autograft preparation and limited tenon removal technique between May 2017 and October 2019. Group 2 comprised 117 eyes of 113 patients who underwent pterygium excision with a conventional conjunctival-limbal autograft technique between January 2016 and May 2017.

RESULTS

The mean follow-up time after surgery was 18.2 ± 5.8 months in group 1 and 19.1 ± 6.3 months in group 2 (p = 0.25). The mean operation duration was 5.54 ± 1.22 (4 - 7) minutes in group 1 and 8.23 ± 1.26 (8 - 10) minutes in group 2 (p = 0.02). Flap edema was present in 33 eyes (28.2%) in group 2 and in 11 eyes (9.16%) in group 1. Flap edema was significantly higher in group 2 (p < 0.001). At the end of the 1-year follow-up of the patients, we observed recurrence in only one (0.83%) eye in group 1 and 14 (11.96%) eyes in group 2. The recurrence rate of group 1 was significantly less than that of group 2 (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

The simplified technique of tenon-free conjunctival autograft preparation and limited tenon removal yielded better clinical outcomes without serious complications. Additionally, this technique shortened the surgical time and reduced surgeon-dependent factors.

Profile of complications in pterygium surgery - A retrospective analysis

Purpose:

Analysis of complication profile after pterygium excision, in primary and recurrent pterygia.

Methods:

Retrospective analysis of all the patients who had undergone pterygium excision in a tertiary center in South India from 2010 to 2018 was analyzed. A total of 2356 eyes in 2028 patients were included in the study. Patients who had undergone conjunctival autografting for primary pterygium, conjunctival limbal autografting for recurrent pterygium, vertical split conjunctival autografting for double head pterygium were included in the study. In all the surgical procedures fibrin glue was used for fixation of the autograft. The follow-up period ranged from 6 months to 75 months, with an average of 17 months. Patients with less than 6 months of follow-up were excluded from the study.

Results:

The following postoperative complications were noted, Sub-conjunctival hemorrhage in 912 eyes (38.7%), edema of the graft in 522 cases (22.15%), graft loss in 22 cases (0.93%), graft retraction in 692 cases (29.37%) and sliding of the graft was seen in 9 cases (0.38%). Granuloma was seen in 4 cases (0.16%) at the host site and 5 cases (0.21%) at the donor site. Recurrence was seen in 34 patients (1.44%). Other severe complications like corneal melt were seen in only 1 case (0.04%) who was operated on for recurrent pterygium. In comparison between primary and recurrent pterygia; subconjunctival hemorrhage, edema of the graft, graft loss, and recurrence was significantly (P < 0.05%) higher in recurrent pterygia.

Conclusion:

Various complications can occur post pterygium surgery as listed above. Selecting a proper procedure for a particular type of pterygium with a proper graft fixation technique will improve the outcome with minimal complications.

Characteristics and recurrence of pterygium in Saudi Arabia: a single center study with a long follow-up

Background

This study described the clinical features of patients with pterygium and analyzed the recurrence rate of conjunctival autografting alone, conjunctival autografting combined with intraoperative mitomycin C, and amniotic membrane grafting.

Methods

A retrospective cohort study of primary pterygium was conducted between January 2017 and February 2020. Factors associated with pterygium severity and recurrence were analyzed by univariate analysis and logistic regression models.

Results

The study included 292 patients with an average age of 53.3 ± 14.1 years, while the number of operated cases was 94. Pterygia involving the cornea were observed in 55 % of the cases. The overall rate of recurrence for the three procedures was 17 %. The average time of recurrence was 14.2 ± 11.9 months, with 37 % of the recurrences occurring after the first year. The only factor associated with a significant risk of recurrence was dry eye disease in both univariate (p = 0.021) and multivariate analysis (p = 0.026). The recurrence rates following conjunctival autografting with and without mitomycin C were 15.6 and 15.8 %, respectively. The recurrence rate following the amniotic membrane graft was  twofold (OR= 2.02)  (27 %) that following the conjunctival autograft (15.8 %).

Conclusions

The only factor associated with the recurrence of pterygium was dry eye disease. More than one-third of recurrences developed after the first year, which stresses the importance of a long follow-up. The recurrence rate in our study following conjunctival graft was slightly higher compared to the literature mainly due to differences in study areas, populations, and follow-up periods.

Cosmetic outcome of femtosecond laser-assisted pterygium surgery

Background

To examine the cosmetic outcome of femtosecond laser-assisted pterygium surgery (FLAPS) with conjunctival autograft (CAG) and its potential predictive factors.

Methods

This was a prospective interventional case series (NCT02866968). We included 29 patients (29 eyes) with primary pterygium who underwent FLAPS. Cosmetic outcome was graded by two graders (an ophthalmology resident and an experienced ophthalmologist) using Hirst classification system (1–4 = excellent–poor). Weighted Cohen’s kappa analysis was performed to examine the intra- and inter-rater reliability. The relationship between cosmetic outcome and various factors were determined by Spearman’s correlation coefficients (r).

Results

The preoperative severity of pterygium (Tan grading system) was mild/atrophic (7%), moderate/intermediate (62%), and severe/fleshy (31%). An ultrathin CAG (mean thickness of 74.5 ± 9.8 μm) was fashioned intraoperatively. An excellent cosmetic outcome of FLAPS (median ± IQR) was observed at 3 months (1.0 ± 1.0) and remained similar at 6 months (1.0 ± 0.0) and 12 months (1.0 ± 0.0) postoperatively. At final follow-up, 27 (93%) patients achieved good-to-excellent cosmetic outcome, with 1 (3%) patient having a poor outcome due to incomplete pterygium removal. Weighted kappa analysis of Hirst grading system showed excellent intra-rater (κ = 0.86–0.95) and inter-rater reliability (κ = 0.84–0.88). There was a weak and borderline significant correlation between good cosmetic outcome and reduced postoperative CAG thickness (r = 0.38, P = 0.06) but not with age, gender, preoperative pterygium severity, or intraoperative CAG thickness.

Conclusions

FLAPS can result in an excellent cosmetic outcome, which may be attributed to the beneficial effect of an ultrathin CAG.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02866968. Registered in July 2016,

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s40662-021-00230-w.

The effects of laser displacement on femtosecond laser-assisted conjunctival autograft preparation for pterygium surgery

AIMS

To evaluate the effects of no-suction femtosecond laser (FSL) stability on conjunctival autograft (CAG) dissection in pterygium surgery.

METHODS

Prospective analysis of 35 eyes from 34 subjects who underwent femtosecond laser-assisted pterygium surgery with the Ziemer Z8 laser (Ophthalmic Systems AG, Switzerland). Intraoperative absolute FSL displacements were measured and correlated with the duration and ease of CAG peel, CAG thickness, measured with intraoperative optical coherence tomography, and deviation from intended graft thickness.

RESULTS

The median absolute FSL displacement was 22 μm (interquartile range [IQR] 14.7 to 60.8), while median vertical FSL displacement was 14.7 μm (IQR 7.3 to 44) and median horizontal FSL displacement was 22.0 μm (IQR 14.7 to 44). 65.7% had a grade 1 peel, 11.4% had grade 2 peel, 14.3% had grade 3 peel and 8.6% had grade 4 peel. The median duration of CAG peel was 5.4 seconds (IQR 3 to 21.4). The median CAG thickness was 69 μm (IQR 60.3 to 78.5), and the median deviation from targeted graft thickness was 9 μm (IQR 1 to 16). Eyes with more difficult peels and longer duration of CAG peels had significantly greater vertical FSL displacements (p = 0.04 and 0.02 respectively), but not horizontal displacement, age, ethnicity, CAG thickness or deviation from original thickness, compared to those with better quality and shorter duration peels. 1 eye (2.9%) had an incomplete CAG peel with a buttonhole and 2 eyes had graft tears (5.7%).

CONCLUSION

Micro-displacements during the suction-free CAG preparation are common but they did not affect the quality of the CAG peel, duration of peel, or CAG thickness. However, vertical globe displacement during FSL-assisted CAG creation was significantly associated with a more difficult and longer CAG peel duration. This highlights the importance of the cornea traction suture fixation to ensure stability of the eye during FSL application.

Role of Surgeon Experience in Pterygium Surgical Outcomes: A Comparative Study Between Ophthalmology Resident and Consultant

Purpose

Although surgical technique and patient variables are responsible for the recurrence of pterygium, the surgeon's experience has been sparsely studied. This retrospective study was designed to compare the surgical time, complications, and rates of recurrence after primary pterygium excision between consultant ophthalmologists and trainee residents.

Material and methods

In this retrospective study, we collected the data of 176 primary pterygium eyes, who were operated on with excision and sutureless/glueless conjunctival autograft either by the consultant (group A) or by the trainee (group B). The demographic profile, surgical time, complications, and recurrences between both groups were analyzed.

Results

Both the groups were comparable with regards to age, gender, religion, side of the eye, size of the pterygium, and duration of follow-up. The mean operative time was longer in group B (26.5+/-3.8 minutes) than group A (14.2+/-1.6 minutes). Though a relatively higher percentage of complications was observed in group B (12% vs. 9%), the difference was statistically not significant (Mann-Whitney U test, p-value 0.271). There was no statically significant difference in recurrence rate (6.8% vs 9.4%) between the groups.

Conclusion

With regards to the role of surgeon experience in primary pterygium excision using the sutureless and glueless conjunctival autografting technique, the residents did not have any statistically significant differences in their postoperative complications and recurrence rates. However, the surgical time was significantly higher in the resident group owing to the learning curve.

Comparison of inferior conjunctival autografting and conjunctival tissue grafting from pterygium itself in the cases of filtering blebs and glaucoma suspects-A retrospective analysis

PURPOSE

This study aims at comparing the effectiveness of inferior conjunctival autografting (CAG) and conjunctival tissue grafting from pterygium itself (CTG) in the cases of filtering blebs/glaucoma suspects.

METHODS

One hundered and five eyes of 97 patients who underwent pterygium excision with conjunctival autografting (CAG) in the period from 2010 to 2016 were included. Fifty one eyes had filtering blebs and 54 were glaucoma suspects. Fifty two eyes of 49 patients (Group 1) had undergone pterygium excision with inferior conjunctival autograft (CAG) and 53 eyes of 48 patients (Group 2) had undergone pterygium excision with conjunctival tissue graft (CTG) from the pterygium itself. The minimum follow up period was 6 months.

RESULTS

Both groups had 2 eyes with recurrence, which was not statistically significant. Among other complications, graft retraction was seen with a higher incidence in Group 2, which was statistically significant.

CONCLUSION

In situations where sparing of the superior conjunctiva is mandatory, both the techniques of inferior conjunctival autografting and conjunctival tissue graft from the pterygium itself are excellent alternate options with comparable outcomes and no additional risk of significant complications.

Cosmetic Pterygium Surgery: Techniques and Long-Term Outcomes

Background

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).

Methods

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.

Results

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 follow-up period of 23.1 ± 35 months (range: 6–216 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.

Conclusion

This study highlights an improved technique of an old concept of pterygium surgery that not only reduces the recurrence but also enhances cosmetic excellence and improves the quality of vision.

Recurrence Rate and Clinical Outcome of Amniotic Membrane Transplantation Combined with Mitomycin C in Pterygium Surgery: Two-Year Follow-Up

Objective:

To evaluate the recurrence rate and outcome of pterygium surgery with amniotic membrane transplantation (AMT) and intraoperative mitomycin C (MMC).

Methods:

This prospective clinical study included patients with pterygium who were candidates for pterygium excision. After the surgical excision, intraoperative local MMC were applied in the standard protocol followed by AMT. The outcome measures were recurrence and the size change of lesion. Kaplan-Meier estimation and regression analyses were performed.

Findings:

Fifty five eyes of 55 consecutive patients including 30 male (54.5%) and 25 female (45.5%) with mean age of 47.12 ± 15.95 years were operated. The mean follow-up period was 15.21 ± 2.67 months. The overall recurrence rate was 34.5% (19/55 cases). The estimated recurrence time for larger size of pterygium before surgery was short and marginally significant (17.14 ± 0.58 month in size of ≤3.0 mm versus. 18.56 ± 0.60 month in size of <3 mm; P= 0.06). A statistically significant association was found in reduced model among the size change of the pterygium and standardized coefficient was −0.012 (P = 0.044) and −0.743 (P < 0.001) for age and size of lesion before surgery, respectively.

Conclusion:

Our findings suggest that increasing age and pterygial tissue are the risk factors for recurrence and pterygium has a substantial recurrence rate even after AMT combined with MMC.

Releasable Suture versus Autologous Blood for Pterygium Surgery using Conjunctival Autografts

Purpose

To evaluate the efficacy of releasable single suture (RS) for conjunctival autograft (CAG) and to compare it with sutureless gluefree (SG) technique in pterygium surgery.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective comparative study on patients with primary pterygium who underwent CAG. In 150 patients, CAG was additionally secured by a single 10-0 nylon releasable suture (RS) which was released on the first postoperative day. In 47 patients, no suture was applied, and CAG was allowed to stick to the scleral bed by autologous fibrin only (SG group). The duration of surgery and size of CAG (in mm 2 ) was noted in both groups. All patients completed one year of follow-up. Factors that were studied included graft stability, patient comfort, complications, and recurrence.

Results

The mean age of patients in RS and SG groups was 39.6 ± 11.8 and 47.3 ± 13.8 years, respectively. The mean duration of surgery was 4.84 ± 1.34 min in RS group and 4.90 ± 1.42 min in SG group (P = 0.001). The size of CAG used in both groups was comparable with more stability in RS group postoperatively. Graft retraction rate in RS group was 5.3% (1 mm retraction in CAG more than 36 mm 2 ) with no event of graft loss. The graft loss occurred in 6.3% of eyes in SG group. The recurrence rate in RS group was 4%, while in SG group it was 6.3% (P = 0.4).

Conclusion

RS, by augmenting the autologous blood mechanism, may offer an easy to learn option for pterygium surgery with good stability even in large sized CAGs.

Femtosecond Laser-assisted Preparation of Conjunctival Autograft for Pterygium Surgery

Femtosecond laser-assisted conjunctival autografts (CAG) preparation was recently proposed. This study reports the outcomes of the first clinical trial on the use of laser to prepare CAG in pterygium surgery, and to compare the outcomes with those of manual technique. Forty eyes undergoing primary pterygium excision with laser-assisted CAG transplantation were prospectively included (L group). Two historical matched cohorts whose CAGs were prepared manually were compared (n = 78 eyes by the same experienced surgeon, M group; n = 78 eyes by trainees; TM group). We found the laser-created CAGs had only 11 μm deviation from the targeted thickness. The best-corrected visual acuity improved, and the astigmatism significantly decreased after surgery, with comparable efficacy across 3 groups. The 1-year recurrence rate was 2.5%, 3.8% and 7.7% in the L, M and TM groups, respectively (P = 0.12). There was no significant difference between the L and M groups in the complication rate (5.0% and 1.3%, respectively), surgical time (19.4 ± 5.1 and 19.1 ± 6.2 minutes, respectively), and postoperative discomfort scores (0.1 ± 0.3 and 0.2 ± 0.3, respectively), but these outcomes were significantly less favorable in the TM group. The results of this first comparative clinical trial suggest that femtosecond laser-assisted CAG preparation can be considered as an alternative technique for CAGs preparation.

Fifteen-year results of a randomized controlled trial comparing 0.02% mitomycin C, limbal conjunctival autograft, and combined mitomycin C with limbal conjunctival autograft in recurrent pterygium surgery

PURPOSE

To compare the long-term outcomes of recurrent pterygium surgery between three different techniques.

METHODS

We performed a 15-year follow-up study of a randomized controlled study on surgical management of recurrent pterygium. Group 1 received limbal conjunctival autograft (LCAU); group 2 received intraoperative mitomycin C (MMC) 0.02% for 5 min; and group 3 received combined LCAU + MMC 0.02% for 5 min. Consecutive patients enrolled in the original study (from April 2001 to March 2003) were invited back for a detailed clinical examination to document the long-term outcomes. The main outcome measures included the recurrence rate, residual conjunctival bed status, and complications from any of the surgical methods.

RESULTS

Sixty-two patients were recruited in the original study. Eight patients had passed away and 12 patients were uncontactable or not responded. One patient who had bilateral operations refused to return for follow-up and one eye had insufficient data for analysis. Finally, 40 eyes of 40 patients were included for analyses. One eye developed a recurrence over 15 years and none required a tertiary pterygium operation. The patient received LCAU for a temporal recurrent pterygium developed a 2.2-mm recurrence.

CONCLUSIONS

All three techniques yielded favorable outcomes for patients with recurrent pterygium. The use of LCAU was associated with better cosmetic outcome.

Comparison of Photochemical Crosslinking Versus Sutures for Bonding Conjunctival Grafts

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

To explore whether Rose Bengal-induced photochemical crosslinking (RB-PCL) can be a replacement for sutures in conjunctival autograft bonding, we compared the safety, operating time, postoperative ocular signs, and inflammatory responses of RB-PCL versus nylon suturing for sealing conjunctival autografts in rabbits.

STUDY DESIGN/MATERIALS AND METHODS

Thirty-six New Zealand White rabbits underwent limbal conjunctival autografting using either sutures or RB-PCL to attach conjunctival autografts to the bare sclera. Animals were randomized to one of two groups (18 per group): the suture group or RB-PCL group. Photochemical crosslinking with a wavelength of 532 nm green light with an illumination intensity of 0.6 W/cm² for 250 seconds (150 J/cm² ) or suturing was performed followed by light examination at 3, 7, 28 days after surgery to evaluate the healing condition. Rabbits in each group were euthanized on day 3 (n = 6), 7 (n = 6), or 28 (n = 6) postoperatively, and the graft tissues from the surgical site were processed to evaluate inflammatory response by assessing protein levels of tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), and interleukin 6 (IL-6) as well as histological examination. Cell viability was evaluated by counting both total and dead cells on hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) stained tissue samples from both groups at 3 and 7 days after surgery. The surgery procedure time was recorded and the graft surface temperatures were measured before and after illumination.

RESULTS

Photochemical crosslinking effectively secured the limbal conjunctival autograft over an ocular conjunctival defect with no significant difference from the suture group. The time required for this light activated bonding method was ~550 seconds in comparison with the suture method of half hour. The differences of measured temperature on the graft surface before and after RB-PCL treatment were 2.98 ± 0.11°C. The induction of IL-6 and TNF-α protein was remarkably reduced in the RB-PCL group compared with the suture group at 3 and 7 days after surgery. Histology revealed less infiltrated neutrophils were observed in the RB-PCL group than in the suture group at 3 and 7 days postoperatively. Furthermore, the RB-PCL group showed a better healing process with less eye discharge and mild conjunctival congestion. No significant difference in percent dead cells was observed between RB-PCL and suture groups at 3 and 7 days after surgery.

CONCLUSIONS

RB-PCL is a promising alternative for bonding the conjunctival autograft with shorter operation time, less inflammation and better healing outcomes compared to conventional suture. Thermal damage and phototoxicity were not observed using the RB-PCL method in bonding conjunctival grafts. Lasers Surg. Med. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

[Peripheral lamellar keratoplasty in treatment of relapsing pterygium]

PURPOSE

To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of peripheral lamellar keratoplasty (LKP) for treating relapsing pterygium.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The study was conducted in the period of 2007-2017 and included 84 patients (91 eyes) with stage II-IV relapsing pterygium. Best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) before the surgery was in average 0.65±0.28 (0.01 to 1.0). Astigmatism varied from 0.5 to 6.5 D (mean 3.41±2.06). All patients underwent pterygium removal surgery followed by LKP. The analyzed parameters included visual acuity, refraction error before and after the surgery, frequency of relapses and post-operative complications.

RESULTS

The follow-up period was 4 months to 10 years (mean 30.9±25.4 months). BCVA after the surgery was 0.1-1.2 (mean 0.83±0.24), post-operative astigmatism - 0 to 3.5 D (1.08±0.62). BCVA has improved and remained stable in 86 (94.5%) out of 91 eyes, decrease of visual acuity was observed in 5 cases (5.5%). Frequent relapse of pterygium happened in 5 cases (5.5%), was non-progressing and required no surgical treatment.

CONCLUSION

LKP is an effective and safe method of surgical treatment of relapsing pterygium that provides good optical, tectonic and anti-relapsing results thanks to barrier properties of the layered transplant.

Phototherapeutic keratectomy

Phototherapeutic keratectomy is an excimer laser-based surgical procedure widely performed by corneal surgeons for treating anterior corneal stromal pathologies. Phototherapeutic keratectomy helps by ablating the corneal stroma, thereby improving corneal clarity and smoothening the surface. Transient discomfort and induced hyperopia from corneal flattening are the immediate postoperative concerns. The long-term course is often marked by the recurrence of original corneal pathology and corneal haze formation. Phototherapeutic keratectomy, however, allows for repeat stromal ablation for managing recurrences, as the corneal thickness permits, without affecting the outcome of future keratoplasty. Adjunctive methods such as topical mitomycin-C may be additionally used to reduce recurrence rates. Also, various masking agents such as carboxymethyl cellulose, sodium hyaluronate, and dextran are used in eyes with irregular corneal surface to allow for uniform stromal ablation. Overall, phototherapeutic keratectomy has provided corneal surgeons an additional surgical tool, particularly those residing in developing nations where the availability of donor corneal tissue is an important limiting factor.

Early postoperative outcomes of pterygium surgery: Sutures versus autogenous serum in-situ fixation of limbal conjunctival autograft

Limbal Conjunctival Autograft Transplantation (LCAT) is considered to be the most effective treatment option for pterygium with the least recurrence rate and rapid restoration of normal epithelial morphology. Of the many available methods for securing Limbal Conjunctival Autograft (LCAG), sutures and autogenous serum in-situ are cost-effective and offers better outcomes.

AIM

To compare the outcome of surgeries between the two groups: Group I - LCAG secured with autogenous serum in-situ versus Group II - LCAG secured with sutures.

MAIN METHODS

A prospective randomized control trial conducted on 60 patients who were equally divided into two groups. Post-operative follow-up visits were scheduled at 1st week, 3rd week and 6th week. They were examined for pain, foreign body sensation, subconjunctival hemorrhage, tearing, hyperemia, graft edema, graft displacement, graft retraction, recurrence and/or any other complications and were graded depending on the severity. Mean surgical time was compared between the two groups.

KEY FINDINGS

Average duration of surgery was significantly less in Group I than in Group II. Postoperatively, symptoms like pain, foreign body sensation, tearing and hyperemia were less common in Group I, furthermore subconjunctival hemorrhage and graft edema were more in Group II.

SIGNIFICANCE

Though both the procedures are safe and effective, the use of autogenous serum in-situ significantly shortens the duration of surgery and is accompanied by lesser postoperative discomfort and inflammation. However, long-term studies are needed to assess the risk of recurrence. Graft displacement remains a severe, but infrequent complication.

Comparison of hyperdry amniotic membrane transplantation and conjunctival autografting for primary pterygium

Background

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of the hyperdry amniotic membrane transplantation compared with conjunctival autografting for the treatment of primary pterygium.

Methods

One hundred and forty-one eyes from 130 patients with primary pterygium were treated with excision followed by hyperdry amniotic membrane or conjunctival autografting after random selection. Seventy-nine eyes from 71 patients received hyperdry amniotic membrane transplantation (HD-AM group), and 62 eyes from 59 patients received conjunctival autografting (CG group). Patients were followed up at one week and one, three, six, and 12 months post-surgery. Recurrence rate, postoperative complications, and final follow-up patient visits were prospectively evaluated.

Results

The mean follow-up duration was 12.56 ± 4.35 months in the HD-AM group and 12.85 ± 3.90 months in the CG group. Recurrences were detected in four eyes (5.06%) in the HD-AM group and 13 eyes (20.97%) in the CG group. A statistically significant difference in frequency of recurrence between the two groups (P = 0.003) was observed. The cumulative non-recurrence rates at six and 12 months in all patients stratified by age and sex were not significantly different (P = 0.642 and P = 0.451, respectively, by log-rank test). Graft retraction and necrosis were not detected in the two groups during the follow-up period.

Conclusion

Hyperdry amniotic membrane transplantation was effective in preventing pterygium recurrence when compared with conjunctival autografting and can be considered a preferable and safe grafting procedure for primary pterygium.

Trial registration

Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN16900270, Retrospectively registered (Date of registration: 3 May 2018).

In Situ Blood Coagulum versus Sutures for Autograft Fixation after Pterygium Excision

PURPOSE

To compare the outcomes of autograft fixation using patient's own blood coagulum and using sutures after pterygium excision.

METHODS

In this prospective clinical study, 30 eyes of 30 patients with primary pterygium were randomly assigned into two groups: Group 1 (15 eyes) underwent autograft fixation with 10/0 nylon sutures and Group 2 (15 eyes) underwent autograft fixation by using in situ blood coagulum following pterygium excision. Primary outcome measure of this study was graft failure and displacement. Recurrence, the duration of surgery and patient discomfort were also evaluated. The patients were examined at day 1, day 7, month 1, month 6, and month 12.

RESULTS

Mean duration of surgery was significantly less in Group 2 (mean duration 14 ± 2 minutes) compared with Group 1 (mean duration 48 ± 2 minutes). Graft failure and displacement were more common in Group 2 (13.3%) compared with Group 1 (6.7%). Recurrence was reported equally in both groups. Patient discomfort was found significantly more in Group 1 (foreign body sensation due to sutures.) Conclusions: Autograft fixation by using in situ blood coagulum after pterygium excision is an effective technique with less patient discomfort and shorter operation time.

Pterygium excision and conjunctival autograft: A comparative study of techniques

BACKGROUND

Use of conjunctival autograft following excision has reduced the recurrence rate of primary pterygium. This study compares the use of fibrin glue, autologous blood, and sutures in placing the conjunctival autograft in reference to surgical time taken, postoperative discomfort, and recurrence during follow-up.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Sixty patients with primary pterygium were included in the study and divided into three groups. In Group I, autograft was attached in place with help of 10-0 polyamide monofilament suture; in Group II, with autologous blood; and in Group III, with fibrin glue. All three groups were compared in terms of surgical time, postoperative discomfort, and recurrence.

RESULTS

The average surgical time taken was least with fibrin glue group (Group III), i.e., 36.2 min, followed by 44.8 min with autologous blood group (Group II) and maximum of 53.3 min with suture group (Group I). Postoperative discomfort was seen maximum in th suture group (Group I) and was minimal in the fibrin glue group (Group III). At the end of final follow-up at 6 months, one case of recurrence was seen in both Group I and Group II. No recurrence was seen in Group III.

CONCLUSION

The study concluded that fibrin glue remains the most effective method for attaching conjunctival autograft in pterygium surgery with least surgical time and postoperative discomfort. Autologous blood is an effective alternative which is easily available, economical, vis a vis fibrin glue with less surgical time and postoperative discomfort. Use of sutures is an older technique with maximum surgical time and postoperative discomfort. Recurrence is least with fibrin glue.

Fibrin glue conjunctival autograft for primary pterygium: Overall outcomes and outcomes in expert versus trainee ophthalmologists

INTRODUCTION

To determine outcomes of conjunctival autograft attached with fibrin glue (FG) for primary pterygium, and compare these outcomes in expert versus closely supervised trainee ophthalmologists.

METHODS

This was a retrospective, comparative, non-randomized, interventional study. Patients were recruited among those with primary nasal pterygium undergoing FG conjunctival autograft. Surgery was performed by expert (136 eyes) or closely supervised trainee (128 eyes) ophthalmologists. Mean follow-up was 7.82±8.23months. Main outcome measures were recurrence rate, reoperation rate and complications.

RESULTS

The study sample comprised 264 eyes of 225 patients. Participants were of mean age 47.09±12.89years; 46.7% were male, 28.4% Caucasian and 70.5% Hispanic. Recurrence was recorded in 6.4%: 5.9% in the expert group and 7% in the trainee group (P=0.704) and reoperation in 1.9%: 0.7% and 3.1% (P=0.202), respectively. Both groups showed similar rates of complications such as transient graft edema, graft dehiscence, hematoma or ocular hypertension. Reoperation was slightly more frequent in patients younger than 40years (P=0.064).

CONCLUSIONS

Good outcomes were observed for FG conjunctival autografting in primary pterygium surgery, with no differences recorded between supervised trainee and expert surgeons. Our findings suggest the need to supervise pterygium surgeries during training.

Amniotic Membrane Grafts to Reduce Pterygium Recurrence

PURPOSE

To demonstrate the long-term outcome of pterygium surgery with adjunctive amniotic membrane transplantation (AMT) and intraoperative mitomycin C (MMC) in a large case series.

METHODS

Medical records were retrieved for this noncomparative retrospective study of all patients who had pterygium excision with adjunctive AMT and intraoperative MMC, from October 2010 to June 2016 with at least 6 months of follow-up.

RESULTS

There were a total of 556 eyes of 535 patients (291 males and 244 females) with average age of 51.9 ± 13 years who had pterygium excision (527 primary and 29 recurrent). For an average follow-up period of 17.3 ± 0.8 months (range 6-74 months), corneal recurrence occurred in 20 eyes (3.6%) and conjunctival recurrence in 12 (2.2%) in a total of 32 eyes (5.8%). Eleven eyes (2%) underwent reoperation. Other complications included granuloma (0.5%), diplopia (1.1%), and steroid-induced ocular hypertension (4.3%).

CONCLUSIONS

Adjunctive use of AMT and short exposure of MMC can reduce recurrence after pterygium surgery. The procedure is less tedious and less time consuming, resulting in early recovery while saving the conjunctiva for future surgeries.

Clinical outcome of combined conjunctival autograft transplantation and amniotic membrane transplantation in pterygium surgery

AIM

To compare long-term outcome of primary and recurrent pterygium surgery with three different techniques: combined conjunctival autograft and overlay amniotic membrane transplantation (CAT with AMT), conjunctival autograft transplantation (CAT) alone and amniotic membrane transplantation (AMT) alone.

METHODS

In this retrospective study, 142 eyes of 142 pterygium patients (104 primary, 38 recurrent) who underwent CAT (group A), AMT (group B) or CAT with AMT (group C) respectively following surgical excision were reviewed and compared based on the recurrences and post-operative complications.

RESULTS

The number of recurrence post-surgery were 17 (9 from primary, 8 from recurrent; the same description below), 18 (10, 8) and 2 (1, 1) in groups A, B, and C respectively; dry eyes were 22 (16, 6), 27 (18, 9) and 7 (3, 4); conjunctival inflammations were 30 (17, 13), 27 (16, 11) and 11 (6, 5). Patients in group C (either primary or recurrent or both) mainly showed significantly better results than those in group A or B (P<0.05) regarding above-mentioned clinical effects.

CONCLUSION

Combined CAT and overly AMT have significantly lower rates of recurrence and postoperative complications for primary and recurrent pterygium surgery than CAT or AMT alone.

Recurrent pterygium treatment using mitomycin C, double amniotic membrane transplantation, and a large conjunctival flap

Purpose

The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical outcomes of surgery for recurrent pterygia using mitomycin C (MMC), double amniotic membrane transplantation (AMT), and a large conjunctival flap.

Patients and methods

This retrospective case series included 31 eyes in 31 patients with recurrent pterygia. All patients underwent pterygium excision, application of MMC, double AMT, and placement of a large conjunctival flap. Outcome measures were visual acuity, astigmatism, and recurrence. Recurrence was defined as the presence of fibrovascular proliferative tissue crossing the limbus.

Results

The patients' mean age was 68.2 years. The mean follow-up period was 3.6 years. The mean preoperative and postoperative best-corrected visual acuities (logMAR conversion) were 0.23 and 0.13, respectively. There was a significant difference between the mean preoperative (-3.85 D) and postoperative (-2.22 D) astigmatism. The recurrence rate was 3.2% (1/31 cases).

Conclusion

Surgical pterygium excision with application of MMC, double AMT, and placement of a large conjunctival flap was an effective treatment for recurrent pterygia.

Risk factors for pterygium recurrence after limbal-conjunctival autografting: a retrospective, single-centre investigation

PURPOSE

To determine the risk factors related to recurrence of pterygium after pterygium excision with limbal-conjunctival autograft.

STUDY DESIGN

Retrospective, observational case series.

METHODS

The current study included 310 patients who underwent surgical removal of pterygium using limbal-conjunctival autografting. All surgery was performed by the same surgeon at a single Hospital from 2006 to 2011. Preoperative and postoperative patient data were collected. The patients were summoned to follow-up examinations. Procedures with at least 12 months of follow-up were included in the final analysis. Potential risk factors for pterygium recurrence were determined by Cox proportional-hazard linear analysis and recurrence-free survival time was evaluated using Kaplan-Meier method.

RESULTS

The overall recurrence rate was 5.2% during an average follow-up time of 20.1±8.6 months (range, 12-37 months). According to Kaplan-Meier evaluation, the estimated time to recurrence was 34.2 ± 0.5 months (95% confidence interval 33.3-35.0 months) for the whole population. Multivariate analysis showed that age < 45 years old (RR = 3.582, 95% CI 1.984-13.044, P = 0.047), recurrent type of pterygia (RR = 4.856, 95% CI 1.794-13.142, P = 0.002), and vertical size of pterygium > 6.7 mm (RR = 2.529, 95% CI 1.053-6.075, P = 0.038) were significantly associated with increased risk of recurrence.

CONCLUSION

Our findings suggest that young age, recurrent type of pterygia, and larger pterygial tissue are risk factors for pterygium recurrence after surgical excision. Hence, early excision of pterygium is recommended to decrease the recurrence rate.

Comparison of self-made cryopreservative fibrin glue and commercial fibrin glue kit in pterygium surgery: 1-year follow-up

PURPOSE

To assess long-term efficacy and safety of self-made cryopreservative fibrin glue (SMC) applied in pterygium surgery.

METHODS

Prospective, comparative, interventional case series. Forty eyes of 40 patients with nasal primary pterygium, 24 male and 16 female, were enrolled. The patients were assigned to two groups and each contained 12 male and eight female based on the pterygium area encroaching onto the cornea. In one group, the conjunctival autograft was attached to the sclera with SMC stored for 2 months, and in the other group, commercial fibrin glue kit (CK) was applied after the pterygium was removed. All the patients were followed up postoperatively on days 1, 3, 7 and 14 then at months 1, 3, 6, 12. The main outcome measures included operating time, postoperative discomfort, recurrence rate and complications.

RESULTS

There were no significant differences in surgery time (p = 0.713) and postoperative discomfort (day 1, 3, 7; p = 0.747, p = 0.766, p = 0.983, respectively) between the two groups. By the end of 1-year follow-up, the recurrence rate was 0% in the SMC group and 5% in the CK group (p = 1.000). There were no infections and severe visual acuity (VA) threatening complications in either group.

CONCLUSION

Self-made cryopreservative fibrin glue (SMC) is as effective as standard CK for autograft fixation in pterygium surgery and it also has good safety after long-term follow-up. For its convenience and low cost, this new methods should be popularized, especially in underdeveloped area.

Limbal Conjunctival Mini-Autografting for Preventing Recurrence after Pterygium Surgery

PURPOSE

The aim of the present study was to evaluate limbal conjunctival mini-autografting procedure based on recurrence rates following pterygium surgery.

METHODS

A total of 63 eyes (53 patients) with pterygium, of which 60 were primary and 3 were recurrent, underwent surgery for the removal of pterygia with limbal conjunctival mini-autograft. After the pterygium excision, the limbal portion of the graft was oriented and sutured to the limbus at the recipient bed with the epithelial surface upside. Recurrence was defined as fibrovascular tissue of more than 1 mm over the cornea in the area of previous pterygium excision. The mean follow-up period was 12.5 months (ranging between 6 and 29 months).

RESULTS

The time required for the surgery was approximately 30 minutes (range 20-40 minutes). Recurrence of pterygium was observed in 6 of 63 eyes (9.52%). No eyes with recurrent pterygium developed recurrence postoperatively. There were no severe complications during the operative and postoperative period. Most patients had temporary graft edema, lasting a few days after the operation, and they experienced and complained of foreign body sensations and epiphora.

CONCLUSIONS

Limbal conjunctival mini-autografting appears to be an effective procedure for pterygium surgery resulting in a low recurrence rate.

The Efficiency of Limbal Conjunctival Autografting in Pterygium Surgery

PURPOSE

To investigate the efficiency of limbal conjunctival autografting technique in pterygium surgery.

METHODS

Eighty-four eyes of 68 patients with pterygium were treated by simple excision technique and 29 eyes of 24 patients with pterygium were treated by limbal conjunctival autografting technique. The definition of recurrence was fibrovascular tissue over the limbus onto the cornea in the area of previous pterygium excision.

RESULTS

The ages of the patients were between 25 and 88. The follow-up periods ranged from 6 to 25 months. The patients treated by simple excision technique were followed up for 6 to 25 (average 15+/-6) months and the patients treated by limbal conjunctival auto-grafting technique were followed up for 7 to 24 (average 17+/-5) months. The recurrence rates were 27% (23 eyes) and 7% (2 eyes), respectively. There was a statistically significant difference in the recurrence rate between the patients who underwent simple excision and those who underwent limbal conjunctival autografting (p=0.016).

CONCLUSIONS

Limbal conjunctival autografting is an effective surgical technique for the treatment of pterygium. It has a low recurrence rate when compared with the simple excision technique.

Outcomes of pterygium surgery-glue versus autologous blood versus sutures for graft fixation-an analysis

AIM:

The aim of this study is to compare the surgical outcomes of pterygium excision with conjunctival autograft using sutures, fibrin glue (tisseel), and autologous blood for the management of primary pterygium.

PATIENTS AND METHODS:

A retrospective study done in 681 eyes with primary nasal pterygium. Excision of the pterygium was performed followed by closure of the bare sclera with conjunctival autograft using interrupted 10-0 monofilament nylon sutures in 173 eyes (Group 1), fibrin glue (tisseel-baxter healthcare corporation, westlake village, ca-91362 USA) in 351 eyes (Group 2), and autologous blood in 157 eyes (Group 3). Patients were followed up for a period of 5–52 months. During follow-up, graft-related complications such as recurrence, graft loss, graft retraction, granuloma if any were noted and compared among the three groups.

RESULTS:

A total of 681 eyes who had primary nasal pterygium were included in this study. Pterygium excision with conjunctival autograft was performed using 10-0 monofilament nylon interrupted sutures in 173 eyes (25.4%), tisseel fibrin glue in 351 eyes (51.54%), and autologous blood in 157 (23.05%) eyes. The mean duration of follow-up was 5–52 months. The overall recurrence rate was 2.9% (20 eyes). In Group 1, recurrence was seen in 5 eyes (2.89%), in Group 2, it was seen in 7 eyes (1.99%) and in Group 3, 8 eyes (5.10%). However, the recurrence rate was not significant (P = 0.160). The rate of graft retraction in the 3 study groups were 12 eyes (6.94%), 10 eyes (2.85%), and 56 eyes (35.67%) with a significant P < 0.001. Granuloma was seen in 2 eyes (1.16%), in Group 1, and in 1 eye (0.64%) in Group 3. Graft loss was seen in 3 eyes (1.73%), 4 eyes (1.14%), 6 eyes (3.82%) in Group 1, 2, and 3, respectively.

CONCLUSION:

The outcomes of the three most commonly performed surgical technique of conjunctival autograft fixation has shown us that all three techniques are equally comparable and can be offered to our patients with equally good results.

Efficacy and Safety of a Large Conjunctival Autograft for Recurrent Pterygium

PURPOSE

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of pterygium excision using a large conjunctival autograft for the treatment of recurrent pterygium.

METHODS

The medical records of 120 patients (126 eyes) with recurrent pterygium were reviewed. For each affected eye, pterygium excision with a large conjunctival autograft was performed. The graft was harvested from the superior bulbar area and measured more than 8 × 10 mm in size. Only patients who completed at least six months of follow-up were included. Postoperative clinical outcomes, recurrence rate, and complications were analyzed. Patients with any evidence of recurrence after surgery received a subconjunctival bevacizumab injection.

RESULTS

The average patient age was 56.5 ± 10.2 years, and 45 out of 120 patients were male. The mean study follow-up period was 17.7 ± 17.6 months. Most patients were satisfied with the cosmetic outcome. Postoperative visual acuity improved from 0.69 to 0.75 (p < 0.05). Postoperative refractive astigmatism and corneal astigmatism decreased by 0.55 and 2.73 diopters, respectively (p < 0.05). The postoperative recurrence rate was 4.0%, and the average recurrence period was 7.4 ± 0.6 weeks. A subconjunctival injection of 5 mg bevacizumab was performed in cases of recurrence; no progression of the pterygium was observed following the injection. Postoperative complications included 2 cases of conjunctival graft edema in 2 eyes, 5 donor site scars in 5 eyes, 13 pyogenic granulomas in 13 eyes, and a conjunctival epithelial inclusion cyst in 7 eyes.

CONCLUSIONS

Pterygium excision with a large conjunctival autograft for the treatment of recurrent pterygium produced an excellent cosmetic outcome, a low recurrence rate, and minimal complications. A subconjunctival bevacizumab injection given in cases of recurrence following surgery might be effective in preventing progression of the pterygium.

Releasable Single Suture for Primary Pterygium Excision With a Conjunctival Autograft

PURPOSE

To evaluate the efficacy of a releasable single suture for pterygium excision with a conjunctival autograft (CAG).

METHODS

Retrospective case series at a tertiary eye care center in central India was conducted. Medical records of 150 patients, who underwent primary pterygium excision with a CAG secured by a single releasable 10-0 nylon suture in the last year were reviewed. The surgical duration was noted. The suture was released on the first postoperative day under topical anesthesia. Patients were followed up until 1 year. At each visit, factors studied were patient comfort [pain grading on a visual analog scale], graft apposition, complications, and recurrence.

RESULTS

Mean age of patients was 39 ± 11 years. Most patients in our study were female (58.7%). Sixty percent of pterygia were of Tan grade 2. The mean duration of surgery was 4.8 ± 1.3 minutes. The maximum size of the CAG was 6 mm (3-6 mm). The graft retraction rate was 5.3% (1 mm retraction in the CAG more than 5.5 mm) with no event of graft loss. Four percent of patients had grade 1 recurrence.

CONCLUSIONS

Releasable single suture may offer a good and simple alternative, which uses the gold standard technique of the CAG with exclusion of suture-related complications.

Comparison of free conjunctival autograft versus amniotic membrane transplantation for pterygium surgery

Purpose

To compare the recurrence rate and surgical outcomes of amniotic membrane transplantation (AMT) and free conjunctival autograft (CAT) for pterygium surgery.

Methods

In this prospective study, 60 patients with primary pterygium were randomly assigned to two groups of CAT or AMT and were compared in terms of recurrence rate, mean healing time of corneal epithelial defects, the mean level of inflammation, and complications.

Results

The mean ± SD age of patients was 48.98 ± 9.8 years (range, 27–71 years). 73.3% were men, and 26.7% were women. The groups did not differ with respect to demographic characteristics (P > 0.05). Patients were followed for an average of 12.6 ± 1.3 months. The recurrence rates were 6.7% and 3.3% in the AMT and CAT groups, respectively (P > 0.05). Comparison of mean inflammation score showed higher inflammation in the AMT group in the first, third, and sixth postoperative month (P < 0.05). Mean healing times of corneal epithelial defects were 2.5 ± 0.572 and 2.67 ± 0.479 days in the CAT and AMT groups, respectively (P = 0.173).

Conclusions

No significant complication was observed during or after both surgical methods. No statistically significant difference was seen in visual acuity changes and epithelial healing in CAT and AMT groups, but more inflammation and recurrence rate were seen in AMT group.

Amniotic Membrane Transplantation with Narrow-Strip Conjunctival Autograft vs Conjunctival Autograft for Recurrent Pterygia

Purpose

To compare amniotic membrane transplantation (AMT) associated with narrow-strip conjunctival autograft vs conjunctival autograft alone for the treatment of recurrent pterygium.

Methods

In this prospective consecutive interventional study, patients with recurrent pterygium were randomly divided into one of 2 groups; group 1: patients undergoing AMT associated with autologous conjunctival graft; and group 2: patients undergoing conjunctival autograft alone.

Results

Of the 80 operated eyes included in this study, 39 (group 1, mean patient age 52.1 ± 11.7 SD years) underwent AMT associated with narrow-strip conjunctival autograft and 41 (group 2, mean patient age 45.8 ± 12.9 SD years) underwent conjunctival autograft alone. In group 1, 6 eyes (15.4%) had grade 1 pterygium, 19 eyes (48.7%) had grade 2 pterygium, and 14 eyes (35.9%) had grade 3 pterygium. In the second group, 5 eyes (12.2%) had grade 1 pterygium, 18 eyes (43.9%) had grade 2 pterygium, and 14 eyes (35.9%) had grade 3 pterygium. No statistically significant difference was found between the 2 groups (p = 0.752). Of the 39 eyes in group 1, recurrent pterygium was observed in 7 cases (17.9%). However, of the 41 eyes in group 2, recurrent pterygium was observed in only 4 cases (9.75%). No statistically significant difference was found between the 2 groups (p = 0.2684).

Conclusions

The results of this study indicate that conjunctival autograft alone might be a better surgical choice for the treatment of recurrent pterygia than combining it with AMT; however, this second option provides a good surgical alternative in cases where little conjunctival donor tissue is available.

Fibrin glue versus sutures for conjunctival autografting in primary pterygium surgery

BACKGROUND

Pterygium, a growth of the conjunctiva over the cornea, is a progressive disease leading in advanced stages to visual impairment, restriction of ocular motility, chronic inflammation and cosmetic concerns. Surgical removal is the treatment of choice, but recurrence can be a problem. Currently the best surgical option in terms of recurrence is conjunctival autograft. To date the most common surgical methods of attaching conjunctival autografts to the sclera are through suturing or fibrin glue. Each method presents its own advantages and disadvantages. Sutures require considerable skill from the surgeon and can be associated with a prolonged operation time, postoperative discomfort and suture-related complications, whereas fibrin glue may give a decreased operation time, improve postoperative comfort and avoid suture-related problems.

OBJECTIVES

To assess the effectiveness of fibrin glue compared to sutures in conjunctival autografting for the surgical treatment of pterygium.

SEARCH METHODS

We searched CENTRAL (which contains the Cochrane Eyes and Vision Trials Register) (2016, Issue 9), Ovid MEDLINE, Ovid MEDLINE In-Process and Other Non-Indexed Citations, Ovid MEDLINE Daily, Ovid OLDMEDLINE (January 1946 to October 2016), Embase (January 1980 to October 2016), the ISRCTN registry (www.isrctn.com/editAdvancedSearch), ClinicalTrials.gov (www.clinicaltrials.gov), and the World Health Organization (WHO) International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP) (www.who.int/ictrp/search/en). We did not use any date or language restrictions in the electronic searches for trials. We last searched the electronic databases on 14 October 2016.

SELECTION CRITERIA

We included randomised controlled trials (RCTs) in any setting where fibrin glue was compared with sutures to treat people with pterygium.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Two review authors independently screened the search results, assessed trial quality, and extracted data using standard methodological procedures expected by Cochrane. Our primary outcome was recurrence of pterygium defined as any re-growth of tissue from the area of excision across the limbus onto the cornea. The secondary outcomes were surgical time and complication rate. We graded the certainty of the evidence using GRADE.

MAIN RESULTS

We included 14 RCTs conducted in Brazil, China, Egypt, India, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Sweden and Turkey. The trials were published between 2004 and 2016, and were assessed as a mixture of unclear and low risk of bias with three studies at high risk of attrition bias. Only adults were enrolled in these studies.Using fibrin glue for the conjunctival autograft may result in less recurrence of pterygium compared with using sutures (risk ratio (RR) 0.47, 95% CI 0.27 to 0.82, 762 eyes, 12 RCTs; low-certainty evidence). If pterygium recurs after approximately 10 in every 100 surgeries with sutures, then using fibrin glue may result in approximately 5 fewer cases of recurrence in every 100 surgeries (95% CI 2 fewer to 7 fewer cases). Using fibrin glue may lead to more complications compared with sutures (RR 1.92; 95% CI 1.22 to 3.02, 11 RCTs, 673 eyes, low-certainty evidence). The most common complications reported were: graft dehiscence, graft retraction and granuloma. On average using fibrin glue may mean that surgery is quicker compared with suturing (mean difference (MD) -17.01 minutes 95% CI -20.56 to -13.46), 9 RCTs, 614 eyes, low-certainty evidence).

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

The meta-analyses, conducted on people with pterygium in a hospital or outpatient setting, show fibrin glue may result in less recurrence and may take less time than sutures for fixing the conjunctival graft in place during pterygium surgery. There was low-certainty evidence to suggest a higher proportion of complications in the fibrin glue group.

A Novel Technique for Conjunctivoplasty in a Rabbit Model: Platelet-Rich Fibrin Membrane Grafting

Purpose. To investigate the effect of platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) membrane on wound healing. Methods. Twenty-four right eyes of 24 New Zealand rabbits equally divided into 2 groups for the study design. After the creation of 5 × 5 mm conjunctival damage, it was secured with PRF membrane, which was generated from the rabbit's whole blood samples in PRF membrane group, whereas damage was left unsutured in the control group. Three animals were sacrificed in each group on the 1st, 3rd, 7th, and 28th postoperative days. Immunohistochemical (IHC) stainings and biomicroscopic evaluation were performed and compared between groups. Results. PRF membrane generated significant expressions of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β), and platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) in the early postoperative period. However, the IHC evaluation allowed showing the excessive staining at day 28, in control group. Biomicroscopic evaluation revealed complete epithelialization in PRF membrane group, but none of the cases showed complete healing in the control group. Conclusions. This experimental study showed us the beneficial effects of the PRF membrane on conjunctival healing. Besides its chemical effects, it provides mechanical support as a scaffold for the migrating cells that are important for ocular surface regeneration. These overall results encourage us to apply autologous PRF membrane as a growth factor-enriched endogenous scaffold for ocular surface reconstruction.

Removal of Tenon fortified by conjunctival-limbal autograft in treatment of pterygium

PURPOSE

To describe a simple and effective technique for the prevention of pterygium recurrence.

METHODS

This is a retrospective consecutive single-center case series with recurrence rate as the main outcome measure. Dissection of the conjunctiva, the Tenon's layer, and the sclera was continued up to the insertion of medial rectus. The exposed Tenon's layer was excised for 2 to 3 mm. The entire free edges of the conjunctiva was tacked firmly to the sclera. The conjunctival-limbal graft was sutured firmly to the sclera, recipient limbus, and to the conjunctiva incorporating the reciprocal edges.

RESULTS

We report findings in a total of 36 patients, with 20 (%55.5) males and 16 (%44.4) females. Median age of the patients was 44.5 years (range 16-80). The mean follow-up period was 23.1 ± 6.5 months. The mean size of pterygium in mm length was 3.8 ± 0.7. Recurrence did not occur in any patient. Diplopia was not reported by any patients.

CONCLUSIONS

Conjunctival-limbal autograft combining with selective exicison of Tenon's layer but without damage to any essential tissue such as the semilunar fold or Tenon's capsule pulley is a relatively simple and effective procedure.