Pterygium Surgery with Conjunctival Autograft Fixation Using Bipolar Electrocauterization.

Abstract

To report a case series of pterygium surgery with conjunctival autograft fixation using bipolar electrocautery. A noncomparative, retrospective, interventional case series of pterygium surgery with follow-up longer than 12 months to assess recurrence and other complication rates. Fifty-six eyes of 37 patients were treated between April 2011 and January 2018, either for primary (n = 53 cases) or recurrent (n = 3 cases) pterygia. After pterygium excision, free conjunctival grafts from the inferior bulbar conjunctiva of the same eye were harvested and fixated with the use of bipolar electrocautery. Recurrence of the pterygium and complications. The mean follow-up was 41 months (range 12 to 81 months). There were no intraoperative complications. Recurrence of the lesion was seen in three eyes (5.36%). There were no other postoperative complications such as graft detachment, or formation of dellen or granulomas. Conjunctival autograft fixation using bipolar electrocautery seems to be a fast, costly and safe procedure that can be applied in most cases of pterygium surgery.