What is Pterygium?

The cornea layer forms the frontmost layer of the eye. The pterygium is the fibroblastic tissue that walks on the cornea. This tissue usually progresses and leads to both cosmetic appearance and visual impairment. While the pterygium is slightly vascular at the beginning, it gradually increases and begins to extend towards the frontmost layer of our eye, which we call the cornea (transparent layer), and attaches to the cornea layer.

What are the Symptoms of the Pterygium?

· While pterygium causes problems such as flesh coming out on the inner side of the eye, itching, stinging, it also impairs vision by causing astigmatism over time. Because as the pterygium progresses, it pulls the cornea towards itself and causes astigmatism eye disorder.

· Constantly changing glasses numbers

· Eye redness, burning, itching, stinging

· Eye reddening after getting out of the bathroom

· Inability to look at the light

What are the Causes of the Disease?

People with pterygium in their family are in the most important risk group. Sun (open field work), heat (welding workers) and dust are the most important factors in disease development. In addition, allergic eye diseases in which the eye is rubbed frequently during childhood may increase the progression of this disease.

What are Pterygium Treatment Methods?

The treatment of pterygium is surgery.Pythergium excision and limbaconjunctival graft treatment surgery is a multi-featured surgery. Because if the treatment is not performed according to the patient’s needs, recurrences may occur. With a good surgery, the chance of success varies between 86-95%. Surgery of the pterygium is a very specific surgery. Simply removing the pterygium is not enough. If the pterygium is removed and that area is not covered with a graft, there is a 50% chance of recurrence in the pterygium. For this reason, pterygium excision and limbaconjunctival graft treatment and drug treatment called Mitomycin C have great importance.

How is pterygium surgery performed?

Before the procedure, the eye is anesthetized with topical anesthetic drops. Pterygium tissue is removed from the cornea and conjunctiva in a sterile environment under operating room conditions. The cornea is cleared. The conjunctival tissue, which is under our upper lid as a spare, is taken as limbajunctival in accordance with the length of the pterygium and sutured to the area where the removed pterygium tissue is located. Since dissolvable suture threads are used here, it is not necessary to take sutures from the patient. After the procedure, the eye is closed for that evening. It will be opened at the next day's control.

What should be considered after pterygium surgery?

Pain is not felt during the surgery. After the surgery, there may be a feeling of sunset for 3-4 days and redness for up to 1 month. After the surgery, a 3-week drip drug treatment will be applied. Wearing sunglasses can somewhat stop the pterygium from increasing. The patient is more comfortable with sunglasses. Since self-absorbing sutures are used during the operation, re-suction will not be required. After the surgery, it may be necessary to change the distance and reading glasses. The glasses will be changed after 1 month at the earliest.

Laser Pterygium Treatment

Pterygium is not yet a suitable disease for laser treatment. A successful pterygium surgery is performed with an experienced, patient and detailed handwork.