PTERYGIUM;

Objectives: To compare graft stability, patient discomfort and surgical time between autologus blood and sutures for autologus conjunctival graft adherence in pterygium surgery. Study Design: Prospective interventional study. Setting: Department of Ophthalmology, Pak Red Crescent Medical and Dental College, Dina Nath. Period: January 2017 to December 2017. Materials and Methods: Fifty eyes of fifty patients requiring pterygium surgery were enrolled. The patients were divided in two groups (A and B). Under peribulbar anesthesia pterygium was excised in all patients. Bare sclera was covered with conjuctival autograft using autologus blood as adhesive agentin Group A while in Group B conjuctival autograft was fixed with 10/0 Nylon sutures. The patients were examined postoperatively on day 1, day 7, day 14 and day 30. The groups were compared in terms of surgical time, graft displacement and patient discomfort. Results: Mean surgical time was (20.96 ±2.05 minutes) in Group A and (30.04±3.38 minutes) in Group B. There was nasal displacement of conjunctival autograft in 3 (12%) of patients on 1stpost-operative day in Group A whereas no graft displacement was seen in any case of Group B. Level of patient discomfort measured on visual analogue scale in Group A was (0.56 ± 0.92 on day 1, 0.40 ± 0.71 on day 7, 0.04 ± 0.20 on day 14 and 0 ± 0 on day 30). In Group B level of patient discomfort was (3.92 ± 1.12 on day1, 1.24 ± 1.09 on day 7, 0.12 ± 0.33 on day 14 and0 ±0 on day 30). Conclusions: The use of autologus blood to affix the conjuctival autograft in pterygium surgery is a reliable method. It is associated with less patient discomfort post operatively and requires shorter surgical time, as compared to conjunctival autograft with sutures.