Reversal of Sensation of Conjunctival Autograft after Pterygium Surgery

Abstract

To evaluate sensation change at nasal and superior conjunctival and corneal quadrants after pterygium surgery with conjunctival autograft. A prospective study was carried out in 14 patients. Seventeen eyes were operated for primary nasal pterygium. Sensation in nasal and superior conjunctival and corneal quadrants was measured with a Cochet-Bonnet aesthesiometer (CBA) before, and at 2 weeks, 1 month, and every month for 6 months after surgery. Preoperative and postoperative measurements were recorded and analyzed with Wilcoxon signed-rank test. The mean patient age was 53.5 years (range 44-68). All patients had nasal primary pterygium and completed the 6-month follow-up. The conjunctival autograft was correctly positioned and fixed in all eyes with fibrin glue. Mean ± SD sensations in conjunctival autograft were none (p<0.05) at 1 month, 4.28 ± 5.34 mm (p<0.05) at 2 months, 12.85 ± 2.67 mm (p<0.05) at 3 months, and returned to normal level, 23.57 ± 2.43 mm (p>0.05), at 4 months. Mean sensations in superior conjunctival area where the autograft was harvested were 11.42 ± 5.56 mm (p<0.05) at 1 month, and returned to normal level, 22.14 ± 2.67 mm (p>0.05), at 2 months. Mean sensations in nasal corneal area after surgery were 7.81 ± 4.06 mm (p<0.05) at 2 weeks, 26.42 ± 2.43 mm (p<0.05) at 1 month, and returned to normal level, 49.00 ± 3.38 mm (p>0.05), at 2 months. Mean sensations in superior corneal area did not change postoperatively. Anesthesia at first month and hypoesthesia at second and third month at conjunctival autograft was observed after pterygium surgery. Additionally, hypoesthesia was observed at nasal cornea and superior bulbar conjunctiva at the first month.