Long-term follow-up on the recurrence rate of three surgical techniques for pterygium

Abstract

Objective To compare the long-term recurrence rates of the three different surgical techniques including bare sclera technique (BST), limbal stem cells autograft transplant technique (LCAT) and amniotic membrane graft transplant technique (AMGT) for pterygium. Methods The clinical data of 126 eyes of 115 patients with pterygium treated by these three different surgical techniques from January 2007 to December 2010 were retrospectively analysed. The Long-term recurrence rates of the three different surgical techniques were compared and statistically analysed. Results After the follow-up of 4-8 years, the recurrent pterygium was detected in 10 eyes (28.57%) in BST, 6 eyes (10.34%) in LCAT and 9 eyes (27.27%) in AMGT. The recurrence rate was significantly lower in LCAT than those in BST and AMGT (χ2=5.091, P=0.024; χ2=4.378, P=0.036 ). But the difference in the recurrence rate between BST and AMGT was not statistically significant (χ2=0.014, P=0.905 ). Conclusion LCAT is a more effective technique than BST and AMGT for pterygium with decreased recurrence rate. Key words: Pterygium; Technique, bare sclera; Autograft, limbal stem cells; Graft, amniotic membrane; Recurrence rate, follow-up, long-term