Pterygium Surgery with Conjunctival Autograft Fixation Using Bipolar Electrocauterization

• Published in: European journal of ophthalmology Vol. 31; no. 3; pp. 1458 - 1462
• Main Authors: Costa, Fernando Quadros, Costa, Ricardo Quadros, Barbosa, José Bonifácio, Gomes, José Álvaro Pereira
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London, England SAGE Publications 01-05-2021
• Subjects: Pterygium; autograft; electrocautery
• ISSN: 1120-6721; 1724-6016
• DOI: 10.1177/1120672120965488

Purpose:
To report a case series of pterygium surgery with conjunctival autograft fixation using bipolar electrocautery.
Design:
A noncomparative, retrospective, interventional case series of pterygium surgery with follow-up longer than 12 months to assess recurrence and other complication rates.
Participants:
Fifty-six eyes of 37 patients were treated between April 2011 and January 2018, either for primary (n = 53 cases) or recurrent (n = 3 cases) pterygia.
Intervention:
After pterygium excision, free conjunctival grafts from the inferior bulbar conjunctiva of the same eye were harvested and fixated with the use of bipolar electrocautery.
Main outcome measure:
Recurrence of the pterygium and complications.
Results:
The mean follow-up was 41 months (range 12 to 81 months). There were no intraoperative complications. Recurrence of the lesion was seen in three eyes (5.36%). There were no other postoperative complications such as graft detachment, or formation of dellen or granulomas.
Conclusion:
Conjunctival autograft fixation using bipolar electrocautery seems to be a fast, costly and safe procedure that can be applied in most cases of pterygium surgery.