Are There Side Effects of Pterygium Surgery, and Why?
Many patients ask me whether there are side effects of pterygium surgery. Are there complications of pterygium surgery? So, pterygium surgery is a procedure performed for the purpose of removing non-cancerous conjunctival growths from the eye. The conjunctiva is the transparent tissue that covers the white part of the eye and the inner part of the eyelids. Although in the vast majority of cases recovery is complete after pterygium surgery, there are situations in which there are side effects after pterygium surgery. On the other hand, severe overgrowth of the conjunctival tissue can cause a foreign-body sensation, cover the cornea, and interfere with your vision.
Pterygium Surgery Complications?
The surgical procedure is fairly quick and low-risk; side effects of pterygium surgery are relatively rare. The surgery lasts about half an hour and is performed under local anesthesia, sometimes with light sedation to prevent discomfort during the surgery.
During pterygium surgery the ophthalmologist will remove the pterygium together with the conjunctival tissue associated with it.
After removal of the pterygium and the conjunctiva associated with it, this part will be replaced with a graft of autologous conjunctival tissue in order to lower the risk of recurrent pterygium growths and side effects.
Pterygium Surgery Complications: Sutures vs. Glue
After removing the pterygium, sutures or fibrin glue can be used to secure the conjunctival tissue graft in place. Both techniques reduce the possibility of a recurrent pterygium.
While the use of dissolvable sutures may be considered a traditional and safe procedure, it may cause more discomfort after surgery and extend the recovery time to several weeks.
The use of fibrin glue, on the other hand, has been shown to reduce inflammation and discomfort while cutting the recovery time in half (compared to the use of sutures). However, since fibrin glue is a product of the fibrin protein from the blood, it may carry a risk of transmitting infections and viral diseases. The use of fibrin glue can also be more expensive than choosing sutures.
Pterygium Surgery Side Effects: Recovery
At the end of the surgery, the physician will place a patch to cover the involved eye for comfort and to prevent infection. It is important not to rub the eyes after the procedure in order to prevent dislodging of the graft tissue from its place.
Your physician will provide you with instructions for care after the surgery, including cleaning procedures, antibiotics, and the scheduling of follow-up visits.
The recovery time can take between two weeks and two months until your eye heals completely, with no signs of redness or discomfort. However, this may also depend on the type of technique used during the surgery.
Pterygium Surgery Complications: What Are They?
As with any surgical procedure, there are risks. With pterygium surgery, too, side effects are possible; it is normal to experience discomfort in the eye and redness. In addition, a common condition is some blurring of vision during the recovery period, but this is a completely temporary condition. Likewise, regrowth of the pterygium is not rare.
However, if there are side effects that continue beyond two months, or there are vision difficulties, complete loss of vision, or you notice regrowth of the pterygium, you should schedule a visit to your ophthalmologist.
Non-Surgical Treatment
Although pterygium surgery is impressively effective, in mild cases of a stable pterygium that is not growing and does not interfere with quality of life, the ophthalmologist may recommend drops and ointments. However, if these benign growths begin to affect your vision or quality of life, the next step will most likely be surgery.
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