Pterygium

A pterygium is a growth of tissue from the white (conjunctiva) of the eye exterior onto the clear dome (cornea) in the front of the eye. They can occur on either side of either eye. Patients can have up to four growths at any one time.

Although the growths are benign, they can cause decreased vision, pain, irritation, redness and scarring. In addition, they can be cosmetically unacceptable to many patients.

Pterygium surgery in the past consisted of simple excision. This led to unacceptable rates of recurrence (approximately 50%). We perform a variety of grafting techniques which improve the chances of long term success of the procedure to approx. 10-15%. In addition recovery time and discomfort are less compared to simple excisions.

The surgery is performed at our ambulatory center or the SurgEase facility at Bridgeport Hospital.