title: Comparing treatment options of pterygium: limbal sliding flap transplantation, primary closing, and amniotic membrane grafting.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare 3 surgical treatment options of pterygium: limbal sliding flap transplantation, primary closing, and amniotic membrane grafting methods.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventy-five patients with primary pterygium were included in the study. Snellen visual acuity measurement, grading pterygium, slit-lamp examination, keratometry, and anterior segment photography were performed preoperatively. Twenty-eight eyes of 28 patients (group 1) underwent limbal-conjunctival sliding flap transplantation, 22 eyes of 22 patients (group 2) underwent amniotic membrane grafting, and 25 eyes of 25 patients (group 3) underwent primary closing surgery. The patients were followed up on the first day and the first week after surgery and then at months 1, 3, 6, and 12.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean size of the pterygium preoperatively was 3.58 ± 1.1 mm in group 1, 3.95 ± 0.90 mm in group 2, and 3.5 ± 0.87 mm in group 3. The mean follow-up time was 15.07 ± 13.8 months in group 1, 20.2 ± 6.7 months in group 2, and 28.04 ± 9.9 months in group 3. Grade 4 corneal recurrence rate in follow-up was 7.1% in group 1, 27.3% in group 2, and 56% in group 3 (p = 0.00). Mean recurrence times were 4.0 ± 1.7, 4.4 ± 3.3, and 4.4 ± 3.6 months according to groups 1, 2, and 3 (p = 0.963). After the surgery, corneal astigmatism decreased and keratometric values increased significantly in all the groups with no statistically significant difference between the groups (p>0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Limbal-conjunctival sliding flap transplantation is an efficient method to manage primary pterygium. It may be a safe and effective initial treatment option to reduce risk of recurrence and postoperative complications of pterygium surgery.
authors.affiliation: Ophthalmology Clinics, Fatih Sultan Mehmet Education and Training Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey. sevdaydin@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Sevda Aydin
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Kurna
authors.forename: Ahmet
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Altun
authors.forename: Bahtinur
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Aksu
authors.forename: Riza
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kurna
authors.forename: Tomris
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sengor
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000650:Amnion / Q000637:transplantation*; D003228:Conjunctiva / Q000637:transplantation*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D016850:Limbus Corneae; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000517:prevention & control; D011625:Pterygium / Q000601:surgery*; D055502:Secondary Prevention; D013524:Surgical Flaps; D014792:Visual Acuity