Pterygium Surgery

A pterygium is a white or pinkish growth on the tissue that lines the surface of the eye, called the conjunctiva. The growth is usually non-cancerous, but can cause significant discomfort, red eyes and chronic dry eyes. Such growths are often successfully treated with a course of medicated eye drops. However, when the signs of the pterygium persist despite treatment, patients often opt to have it surgically removed, especially if it’s uncomfortable or disrupts vision.

In these cases, your eye doctor may refer you to an eye surgeon to have the growth surgically removed.

What Pterygium Surgery Involves

Prior to the surgery your eye surgeon will [anesthetize] your eye and clean it thoroughly. The surgeon will then separate the pterygium tissue from the underlying normal conjunctiva and use a scalpel to surgically remove the pterygium. The surgeon will remove a small section of the conjunctiva from under your eyelid and use it as a graft to cover the surgical wound, which is held permanently in place with either sutures or fibrin glue.

Dissolvable sutures don’t need to be removed, but they can be uncomfortable after surgery and can lengthen recovery time. Fibrin glue is more commonly used, as it is effective, but it may cost more and slightly increase the risk of infection. In contrast, the ‘bare sclera’ procedure simply involves taking off the pterygium without grafting any conjunctival tissue. This eliminates the need for grafting, which is used in other procedures, but may increase the likelihood that the pterygium will recur.

The procedure is performed in an outpatient clinic and can take between 30 to 40 minutes for a single eye. If a pterygium is in both eyes, your surgeon will require you to wait several weeks for the first eye to heal and reduce the risk of inflammation before removing the lesion from the second eye.

Steps to Take Before Pterygium Surgery

Prior to pterygium surgery, your eye doctor may ask you to:

• Eat only a light meal, or to fast
• Avoid wearing contact lenses 24 hours before surgery
• Arrange for transportation after the procedure

Recovery Following Pterygium Surgery

After surgery, you will wear an eye patch to reduce the risk of infection. Avoid rubbing your eyes or moving the eyepatch out of position.

Your surgeon will provide you with instructions on how to clean and protect the eye, medications such as antibiotics and steroid drops. The staff will schedule your follow-up appointments.

Depending on the severity of your condition, type of surgery, and other factors, recovery may take anywhere from a couple of weeks to two months. During the recovery period, you may experience:

• Red eyes
• Discomfort in the eye area
• Mildly blurry vision

However, if you experience a loss of vision, eye pain or any symptoms of infection, speak to your eye doctor immediately.

If you have a pterygium, speak to Opthalmology Doctor Name at Opthalmology Practice Name in LOCATION1 today.

Our practice serves patients from CITY 1, CITY 2, CITY 3, and CITY 4, and surrounding communities.