Combined Conjunctival Autograft and Overlay Amniotic Membrane Transplantation; A Novel Surgical Treatment for Pterygium

The authors report the long-term results of combined conjunctival autograft and overlay amniotic membrane transplantation (amt) for treatment of pterygium as a new surgical technique. nineteen patients including 12 male and 7 female subjects with pterygium (primary,14 cases; recurrent,5 cases) underwent combined conjunctival autograft and overlay amt and were followed from 10 to 26 months. mean age was 44.21±12.49 (range,29.0-73.0) years. in one patient with grade t3 primary pterygium,the lesion recurred (5.2%,recurrence rate). no intra-and postoperative complication developed. this procedure seems a safe and effective surgical technique for pterygium treatment. protection of the ocular surface during the early postoperative period reduces the friction-induced inflammation and might be helpful to prevent the recurrence.