J Korean Ophthalmol Soc.  2012 Oct;53(10):1419-1424.

Recurrence after Modified Mini-Flap Technique for Pterygium Surgery

• Park SY
• Han KE
• Seo KR

Abstract

PURPOSE
To compare and analyze the clinical outcomes after the traditional mini-flap technique and a new modified mini-flap technique for pterygium surgery.
METHODS
This is a retrospective, clinical outcome study of 39 eyes that received the existing mini-flap technique from January, 2004 to August, 2005, and 142 eyes that received the modified mini-flap technique from September, 2008 to December, 2010. We analyzed the recurrence rate of each mini-flap technique and the difference between the group that experienced recurrence and the group that did not. We also analyzed the difference between the group that received the mini-flap technique and the group that received the modified mini-flap technique.
RESULTS
The recurrence rate of pterygium patients who received the mini-flap technique was 10.3% (4/39). The rate of those who received the modified mini-flap technique was 2.1% (3/142), which is statistically lower (p = 0.040). However, compared from the recurrence rate of 6.1% (3/49) that was reported in 2008, the recurrence rate of the modified mini-flap technique did not show any statistical significance (p = 0.165). From the comparison of demographic factors of the patients in each surgical technique group, in both recurred and not recurred group, the patient group in the modified mini-flap technique group whose pterygium was recurrd was the youngest (p < 0.001).
CONCLUSIONS
The newly applied modified mini-flap technique is not only a safe method with low recurrence rate compared to the traditional mini-flap technique, but also a reliable surgical technique in both primary and recurred pterygium.

Keyword

Mini-flap; Pterygium; Recurrence; Surgery

MeSH Terms

Demography
Eye
Humans
Outcome Assessment (Health Care)
Pterygium
Recurrence
Retrospective Studies

Figure

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  Figure 1 Mini-flap technique. (A) Create conjunctival window on pterygium neck, (B) remove pterygium from head to body, (C) conjunctival relaxing incision for preparing a conjunctival flap, (D) limbal margin conjunctiva-sclera-conjunctiva and several conjunctiva-conjunctiva sutures, (E) another limbal margin conjunctival-sclera-conjunctiva suture.

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  Figure 2 Modified mini-flap technique. (A) Create conjunctival window on pterygium neck, (B) remove pterygium from head to body, (C) conjunctival relaxing incision above or below the limbus for preparing a flap, (D) two conjunctiva-sclera-conjunctiva sutures at corneolimbal margin and innermost part of a conjunctival flap (black-arrow), (E) another limbal margin conjunctiva-sclera-conjunctiva suture.

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  Figure 3 Cumulative proportion without recurrence of pterygium after surgery (Kaplan-Meier survival curves).

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  Figure 4 (A, C) Postoperative 1 day in patients received modified mini-flap technique (B, D) Postoperative 1 month in patients received modifiec mini-flap technique.

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