[Limbo-conjunctival autografting in pterygium surgery]

To evaluate the efficiency of the limbo-conjunctival autografting in pterygium surgery.

A study has been undertaken in two centers. The first one, which was a prospective observational one, went on for 20 months and included the patients operated with pterygium in the Ophthalmology Clinic in TgMures, RO. Two surgical techniques have been used: limbo-conjunctival autografting and the Arlt technique. The results of the two methods have been followed and compared, as well as the intra and post-surgery complications. The second study, a retrospective observational type of study, went on for 15 months and included the patients operated with pterygium in the Ophthalmology clinic in Debrecen, Hungary. We used 4 methods to treat the pterygium: the Arlt method, the McReynolds method, the sclero-corneal lamellar plasty and the limbo-conjunctival autografting. We analysed the obtained results using all these 4 methods.

In the Ophthalmology Clinic in Targu-Mures we operated, during those 20 months, 106 patients with pterygium. Of these, 36 were operated using the limbo-conjunctival autografting, the rest using the Arlt technique. We noticed less relapse when the limbo-conjunctival autografting was used. In the Ophthalmology Clinic in Debrecen, during a 15 months period, there were 33 patients operated for pterygium. The largest number of relapses was noticed with the Arlt technique.

When comparing the different methods used in the pterygium surgery in terms of relapse we noticed the increased efficiency of the limbo-conjunctival autografting. The encouraging results stimulate us in using and recommending this method.