Pterygium

Pterygium in the eye

April 2007

For the last 5 years I have had pterygium in my eye and it has been growing into my cornea. I have been seeing an opthalmologist who is considering surgically removing the growth but he mentioned that there is a 50% chance that the pterygium will return. Does anyone have experience with the surgery and did the pterygium come back? I am an active mom of 2 and I'm concerned that this will affect my vision as it is affecting my way of life with chronic eye irritation and redness. Any advice will be extremely helpful. My eye is always red

My husband has pterygium in both of his eyes. His first surgery was in the early 1990 s with an eye specialist in El Cerrito. Unfortunately, his pterygium grew back almost immediately. We saw Dr. Daniel Goodman in San Francisco a few years later. He s a cornea specialist which is so important when you re dealing with something like pterygium. My husband had another surgery with him and this time it didn t grow back. A few years later, he had surgery on the other eye and unfortunately it did grow back and he'll probably go back in for another surgery. So it s hard to say. I understand pterygirum can be pretty aggressive little boogers. It s not bothering his vision, which is the most important thing, but like you, his eyes are always red. If your insurance can cover it, I would recommend at least a visit to Dr. Goodman to discuss your situation further with him. He s the best in his field. Good luck! Linda

yes, it could grow back, but it might not. if it is causing you significant discomfort, have it removed. eye doc

Hello! Yes, pterygiums have a very high rate of recurrence post- surgery. There are certain surgical techniques that are supposed to increase chances of non-recurrence, but there are mixed opinions about these. My question to you is: are you doing everything possible to prevent growth/redness? You need to be lubricating your eye a lot--Artificial tears during the day. Systane or Soothe is best if you don't wear contacts. Ophthalmic ointment at bedtime. No Visine or anything to try to get the red out of your eyes. Always wear sunglasses when outside--wrap around is best. Always protect your eyes from sun and wind exposure (use sunglasses, cap with visor, etc.) If your pterygium isn't that big, and you can get it to settle down, and you don't mind it cosmetically, you wouldn't need surgery. eye doc