title: Long-term follow-up of pterygium surgery using a conjunctival autograft and Tissucol.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the rate of recurrence and to detect pre- or postoperative complications in pterygium surgery using fibrin glue to attach the conjunctival autograft.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective case series. In a period of 20 months, 35 patients were operated on for a pterygium using a conjunctival autograft, of which 7 patients were operated (20%) for a recurrent pterygium. The autograft was glued with Tissucol Duo 500, a human tissue glue. Follow-up was at least 1 year.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean age was 50.4 years (range, 23-80 years), 18 women and 17 men. Success rate was 97.1%. In 1 patient with a primary pterygium, the lesion recurred after 4 months (2.9%). One autograft was lost on the first postoperative day. No other pre- or postoperative problems were encountered.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The use of Tissucol fibrin glue seems to be a safe, easy, and effective technique for attaching the conjunctival autograft in pterygium surgery. The recurrence rate of the procedure is low.
authors.affiliation: Academic Medical Center, Department of Ophthalmology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. c.p.nieuwendaal@amc.uva.nl
authors.forename: Carla P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Nieuwendaal
authors.forename: Ivanka J E
authors.initials: IJ
authors.lastname: van der Meulen
authors.forename: Maarten
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mourits
authors.forename: Ruthie
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lapid-Gortzak
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003228:Conjunctiva / Q000187:drug effects / Q000637:transplantation*; D005260:Female; D015718:Fibrin Tissue Adhesive / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007431:Intraoperative Complications; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D011625:Pterygium / Q000601:surgery*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D055502:Secondary Prevention; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014014:Tissue Adhesives / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014182:Transplantation, Autologous; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D015718:Fibrin Tissue Adhesive; D014014:Tissue Adhesives