Introduction and Aim:
Pterygium, derived from the Greek word "pterygion," meaning "wings," is a common ocular condition characterized by conjunctival tissue growth onto the cornea, often leading to recurrence after surgical excision. Traditional techniques for pterygium surgery are associated with recurrence rates as high as 80%. This study aims to evaluate the long-term effectiveness of a novel technique using autologous blood as an adhesive agent for conjunctival autografts in preventing recurrence after pterygium surgery.
Materials and Methods:
A total of 22 eyes from 22 patients with varying grades of pterygium were randomly selected to undergo pterygium excision with conjunctival autograft using autologous blood as the adhering agent. Following ethical approval, surgeries were performed between June 2012 and June 2013. Patients were followed up postoperatively at Day 1, 1 week, 3 weeks, 6 months, and 1 year. A retrospective evaluation for recurrence was conducted after 10 years, with no loss to follow-up. All procedures were performed by a single surgeon, and postoperative assessments were conducted by a single evaluator to minimize bias.
Results:
During the ten-year follow-up, all patients demonstrated successful healing of the conjunctival autograft. Notably, there were no signs of pterygium recurrence in any patient. One patient experienced subgraft hemorrhage at the one-week follow-up, which resolved by three weeks without further complications.
Conclusion:
The use of autologous blood as an adhesive agent for conjunctival autografts after pterygium excision appears to be an effective technique for preventing recurrence. This method offers additional advantages such as shorter surgical time, improved patient compliance, and cost-effectiveness. This study represents one of the longest follow-ups reported in the literature on the use of autologous blood in this context, underscoring its potential as a viable alternative in pterygium surgery
