Surgical Outcome of Conjunctivalautograft Using Autologous Blood in Patients Undergoing Pterygium Surgery at a Tertiary Care Centre in Kashmir

Abstract

Background: Pterygium refers to a wing shaped brovascular growth of subconjunctival tissue that encroaches onto the cornea. Main modality of treatment of pterygium is surgical. Aim: To determine the surgical outcome of conjunctival autograft xation using autologous blood in patients attending OPD of Department of Ophthalmology, Government Medical College, Srinagar. Methods: This was a prospective interventional study conducted on 60 patients with primary pterygium attending the Department of Ophthalmology of a tertiary care centre in Kashmir over a period of 2 years from June 2019 to June 2021. Patients with recurrent pterygium, past history of ocular trauma and patients with bleeding diathesis were excluded from the study. Proper history was taken from all the patients and a detailed ophthalmological examination was done which included uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA), best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), IOP measurement. Detailed anterior segment and posterior segment examination was done. Results: Our study indicated mean age of patients as 55±3 years. There were 40 female patients (66.7%) and 20 male patients (33.3%). Majority of patients presented with grade-2 and grade-3 pterygium accounting for 50% and 25% cases respectively. Postoperative complications such as subconjunctival haemorrhage, graft edema, graft retraction and corneal epithelial defect were seen in 10%, 55%, 5% and 50% cases respectively. Graft loss and conjunctival granuloma were not seen in any of the patients in our study. Overall surgical outcome was good in our study patients with no postoperative complications at the end of 6 weeks follow-up. Conclusion: Our study concluded that majority of the patients who underwent pterygium excision with graft xation using autologous blood were females with grade-2 and grade-3 pterygium. Surgical outcome using autologous blood as a bioadhesive is a useful and good alternative to xation of conjunctival autograft using sutures or brin glue.