Comparative Study of Pterygium Excision Using Conjunctival Autograft and Amniotic Membrane

Aim: To compare the recurrence rate of pterygium after excision with free conjunctival autograft versus amniotic membrane graft. Methods: The present study was a comparative, randomised prospective study. One hundred patients who presented with primary pterygium during the study period were randomly assigned to one of the two groupsone group (comprising of 50 patients) underwent pterygium excision with conjunctival autograft and the other group (comprising of 50 patients) underwent pterygium excision with amniotic membrane graft. Patients were followed up postoperatively upto six months. The results at 6 weeks and 6 months were used to grade the final appearance. The recurrence rates between the two groups at 6 weeks and 6 months were analyzed using the χ test. Results: In the conjunctival autograft group, the recurrence was seen in 1 out of 50 patients (= 2%) and in the amniotic membrane group, the recurrence rate was 12% (6 out of 50). The recurrence rate in the amniotic membrane group was significantly higher than that in the conjunctival autograft group (p< 0.005). Conclusions: Amniotic membrane graft had a higher recurrence rate than conjunctival autograft.