Pterygium

a growth on the eye from prolonged sun exposure

What is a Pterygium?

A pterygium is a triangular "wing"-like growth over the cornea, the front part of the eye. In general, it is associated with exposure to UV light, wind/dust damage to the surface of the eye. They are generally benign, however they can be irritating and can affect your vision.

pterygium

Symptoms you may feel from a pterygium:

  • scratchy, foreign-body-sensation

  • changing astigmatism in your glasses

  • being unable to wear contact lenses

  • decreased vision

  • decreased field of view

What can I do about the pterygium on my eye?

Treatment for pterygium is largely based on how significantly it affects your eye(s). When small and relatively flat, you can use artificial tears to lubricate the surface of the eye. This can alleviate some of the symptoms you may feel; the artificial tears serve to reduce friction between the eye, the pterygium growth, and the eyelid, when blinking.

As the pterygium grows, it can affect your glasses prescription by inducing astigmatism. With a very large pterygium, it may even block out a portion of your field-of-view.

Pterygium surgery is performed when the pterygium shows signs of progressive growth, causes significant irritation, or affects vision. Dr. Jimmy Hu removes the abnormal tissue from the eye and uses either a conjunctival autograft, or a preserved amniotic membrane graft, with ophthalmic glue using a technique that does not use any stitches. This technique has highest success rate in reducing the chance of recurrence.

What can I expect with Pterygium surgery?

Your doctor will remove the pterygium from the eye in an operating room. Afterwards, an eyepatch is placed over the eye, which is removed the next day. Your vision may be a little blurry and distorted for about five days surgery. You may also have a scratchy sensation, or a foreign body sensation for approximately two weeks, though it may persist for up to a month. Your eye may be tearing for a few weeks after surgery, which helps to keep the eye moist and promote an optimal healing environment.  As the pterygium may cause astigmatism, this is expected to improve after surgery, and as such, your glasses prescription may change.

An eye exam is the best way to screen for, and evaluate any eye conditions affecting your health, comfort, and quality of vision.