SUMMARY
The technique and results of conjuntival autograft transplantation for treatment of primary and recurrent pterygium are presented in a study of 22 patients (24 eyes). The pterygium was primary in 13 cases, and recurrent in 11 eyes. In all cases, free conjunctival grafts from the superior bulbar conjunctiva were used to cover the scleral and extraocular muscle surface exposed after the pterygium excision. Postoperative follow-up time ranged from 3 to 38 months, with mean follow-up of 10,7 months. Only one case of pterygium recurrence was observed (4,16%), but in didn’t require aditional surgery.
The surgical procedure presented here in demonstrated to be safe and effective, because there were few complications, no pharmacologic adjuncts or radiation therapies are needed, and mainly because the recurrence rate can be considered low if compared to other current techniques.