Retrospective clinical analysis of free conjunctival autograft in treatment of pterygia.

The paper is a clinical retrospective analysis of free conjunctival autograft in treatment of pterygia. In period from 1998 until 2006, 47 patients with pterygia were operated using free conjunctival autograft. There were 19 female and 38 male, average age 61 years. In the majority of patients (39/47) it was a primary pterygia. Eight patients were on topical antiglaucoma therapy. Free autograft was taken from superotemporal conjunctiva. Introduction of a single nylon suture to mark the epithelial side of the graft as well as the use of running 10-0 nylon suture for the graft that stays in up to two months, were our modifications of the standard technique. The mean follow-up was 18.7 +/- 9.8 months. Free conjunctival autograft was successfully taken in all patients. Four of them experienced transient graft edema. In glaucoma patients, delayed healing of the cornea, conjunctival harvest area and the graft was noted. The best corrected visual acuity was improved in all patients, from 1-3 Snellen lines. Recurrence of the pterygium was noted in three patients, two of them already with recurrent pterygium. Free conjunctival graft is a safe and effective method of pterygium surgery that produces only few complications and has low recurrence rate. We found useful switch from topical to systemic antiglaucoma therapy as well as adjunctive use of autologous serum drops in promoting and accelerating healing in glaucoma patients.