Excimer laser treatment of pterygium

Primary experience with the use of excimer laser in pterygium therapy is presented. Twenty-two pterygia (11 primary and 11 recurrent) were surgically removed using the bare-sclera technique followed by excimer laser ablation to smooth the corneal surface. As recurrence was observed in 20 eyes (91%) during the first year, supplementary excimer laser treatment of a pterygium does not seem to reduce the recurrence rate. The high recurrence rate in this series may to a certain extent reflect the surgical technique used (bare-sclera).