Amniotic membrane transplant key to pterygium surgical method

My guests in this corneal dissection column, John A. Hovanesian, MD, FACS, and Andrew Behesnilian, BS, describe their surgical technique of using amniotic membrane transplantation as a “biologic implant” beneath the normal conjunctiva surrounding the region where the pterygium is excised and replaced with a conjunctival autograft. They said the recurrence rate of 5% after pterygium surgery combined with conjunctival autograft is similar to the eyes receiving amniotic membrane transplantation in the region where the pterygium is excised. The guests are of the opinion that placing the amniotic membrane graft in the surgically created subconjunctival space may provide a more prolonged antifibrotic effect, as compared with placing it on the ocular surface, and may contribute to a decreased recurrence rate of the pterygium. This technique must be further examined in larger studies to address all of the ocular effects of such a procedure.