Pterygium surgery is a procedure performed to remove noncancerous conjunctiva growths (pterygia) from the eye.
The conjunctiva is the clear tissue covering the white part of the eye and the inside of the eyelids. Some cases of a pterygium produce little to no symptoms. Severe overgrowth of conjunctiva tissue can cover the cornea and interfere with your vision.
The pterygium surgery is a minimally invasive surgery. It generally takes no more than 30 to 45 minutes. Your doctor will most likely provide you with general guidelines to prepare for your pterygium surgery.
You may be required to fast or only eat a light meal beforehand. In addition, if you wear contact lenses, you may be asked to not wear them for at least 24 hours before the procedure.
Because you’ll be lightly sedated, doctors will require you to arrange transportation after the surgery, as you’ll be unable to drive yourself.
The pterygium surgical procedure is fairly quick and low risk:
- Your doctor will sedate you and numb your eyes to prevent discomfort during surgery. They will then clean the surrounding areas.
- Your doctor will remove the pterygium along with some associated conjunctiva tissue.
- Once the pterygium is removed, your doctor will replace it with a graft of associated membrane tissue to prevent recurrent pterygium growths.
