Preoperative and Postoperative Refractive and Topographic Evaluation in Patients With Primary Pterygium: Comparison of Two Surgical Techniques

Primary pterygium is a fibrovascular proliferation of the bulbar conjunctiva that extends onto the cornea and may induce significant refractive and topographic changes, resulting in visual impairment. Surgical excision is the treatment of choice for progressive lesions, with conjunctival autograft (CA) and amniotic membrane transplantation (AMT) representing two widely used techniques.

This non-randomized interventional clinical study compared refractive and corneal topographic outcomes following primary pterygium surgery using conjunctival autograft or amniotic membrane transplantation. Adult patients diagnosed with primary pterygium were allocated to one of the two surgical procedures according to clinical criteria. Preoperative and postoperative evaluations included best-corrected visual acuity, objective and subjective refraction, slit-lamp examination, and corneal topography. Patients were followed for 12 months after surgery.

The primary objective was to compare postoperative refractive and topographic changes between the two surgical techniques. Secondary objectives included evaluating changes in visual acuity, corneal curvature, refractive astigmatism, topographic astigmatism, and identifying clinical factors associated with postoperative outcomes.

Inclusion criteria

• Adults aged 18 years or older.
• Diagnosis of primary nasal pterygium in one or both eyes.
• Pterygium extending at least 1 mm onto the cornea.
• Candidate for surgical treatment and willing to undergo pterygium excision.

Exclusion criteria

• Corneal scars.
• Corneal ectatic disorders.
• History of ocular trauma.
• Previous ocular surgery.
• Cicatrizing ocular surface disease.
• Cataract or any other ocular condition that could affect visual function.