Postoperative Outcomes Regarding Tear Film Changes and Dry Eye Symptoms in Primary Pterygium Excision With Conjunctival Autograft.

OBJECTIVE

To determine changes in tear film characteristics and dry eye symptoms in patients who underwent primary pterygium excision with conjunctival autograft.

METHODS

A prospective, descriptive, analytic study was performed. Patients with primary pterygium who underwent surgical excision with conjunctival autograft were included. Ocular surface disease index (OSDI) test, noninvasive break-up time (NIBUT), lipid layer interferometry, tear meniscus height, and meibomian gland dropout were evaluated preoperatively and at 1 week, 1 month, and 3 months postoperatively.

RESULTS

Thirty-three eyes of 31 patients were included, 16 were right eyes, 20 patients were female, and with the average age of 51±9 years. The tear film and dry eye symptom findings before surgery were as follows: OSDI test 36.34±22.04, NIBUT 8.30±1.17 sec, interferometry 53.03±32.32 nm, tear meniscus height 29.90±10.01 mm, superior meibomian gland dropout 24.78%±9.86%, and inferior meibomian gland dropout 22.57%±14.62%. There was a significant decrease in the postop OSDI score to 23.12, as well as tear meniscus height to 24.36 at 3 months postop, and significant improvement in superior (21.03%) and inferior (15.06%) meibomian gland dropout in the final visit.

CONCLUSION

Primary pterygium excision with conjunctival autograft seems to help improve dry eye-related symptoms and tear film characteristics, with a statistically significant change in postop OSDI scores, tear meniscus height, and meibomian gland dropout. Changes in other objective evaluations of tear film characteristics were not as evident.