The change in ocular higher-order aberrations after pterygium excision with conjunctival autograft: a 1-year prospective clinical trial.

PURPOSE

To investigate the effects of pterygium excision with conjunctival autograft plus corneal polishing on ocular higher-order aberrations (HOAs) and to monitor the changes throughout the first postoperative year.

METHODS

A total of 18 eyes of 16 patients with primary pterygium who had an indication for surgical excision were included in the study. All patients underwent a detailed ophthalmologic examination preoperatively and at the third and twelfth postoperative months. Pterygium excision with conjunctival autograft plus corneal polishing was performed by the same surgeon (K.G.). Corneal topography and ocular HOAs were measured by NIDEK optical path difference scanning system ARK-10000 refractive power/corneal analyzer.

RESULTS

Root mean square values of total aberrations and total HOAs were found to be significantly decreased both at 3 and 12 months after an uneventful pterygium surgery. Although solely root mean square values of coma and trefoil revealed a statistically significant reduction in the third postoperative month (P=0.043 and P=0.018, respectively), after 1 year, all parameters (total coma: P<0.001; total trefoil: P=0.004; total quatrefoil: P=0.010; and total high astigmatism: P=0.016) except for total spherical aberration (P=0.236) were found to be lower when compared with the preoperative values.

CONCLUSION

Uneventful pterygium excision with conjunctival autograft plus corneal polishing can significantly reduce most of the pterygium-induced HOAs. Moreover, the reduced postoperative aberrations continue to change beyond the early postoperative period even into the 1-year postoperative period. Therefore, any refractive procedures should be postponed at least 1 year after the pterygium surgery until corneal stability occurs.