Authors : Jaishree B, Jaishree B, Praveen Kumar Sadanand, Praveen Kumar Sadanand
DOI : 10.18231/j.ijooo.2020.018
Volume : 6
Issue : 2
Year : 2020
Page No : 87-90
Aim: To study the complications with pterygium excision and conjunctival limbal autograft with patient’s
own blood used as adhesive for graft.
Materials and Methods: A prospective, cross sectional, timebound study including 52 patients with
primary pterygium. Pterygium autograft was pasted over recipient bed using patients own blood without
using sutures or fibrin glue. A 0.5 mm oversize graft was held in place for 5 minutes using blood at the
pterygium excised site as adhesive. Post operatively after 24 hours, the eye was assessed under slitlamp for
graft adherence, symptoms or any other complications and were advised topical moxifloxacin, loteprednol
and lubricating eye drops. Patients were followed up on 7th day, 1st month and 4th month.
Results: Out of 52 patients there were 30 males and 22 females with highest incidence among 35 to 55
years age group (78.85%). Majority of patients had grade 2 (76.9%) pterygium and most of them were
farmers by occupation while most common indications for surgery were visual problems (48.07%) and
cosmetic (40.38%) reasons. Conjunctival autograft remained in place in 49 patients. In 3 patients there was
mild graft dehiscence, 1 patient had pyogenic granuloma which needed resurgery.
Conclusion: Graft related complications can be reduced by meticulous dissection, accurate orientation of
graft and ensuring holding onto the graft placement area for at least 5 minutes for adherence.
Keywords: Pterygium, Autograft, Complications.