ABSTRACT
Objective To investigate the key points of operation and clinical effects of excimer laser phototherapeutic keratectomy(PTK) in the treatment of recurrent pterygium. Methods Perform a retrospective study method. 51 patients(52 eyes)who were diagnosed recurrent pterygium from June 2010 to December 2013 were allocated into two groups at randomgroup A was treated by pterygium excision and corneal limbal stem cell autograft (CAG) with PTK and group B was simply treated by CAG. They were followed up in the aspects of the reparation of cornea,astigmatism and the recovery of visual acuity for six months. The recurrence rate was also analyzed and compared. Results The average healing time of group A was 3-7 (5.00±1.26) d, while group B was 4-8 (6.25±1.36) d, the difference of which was statistically significant (t=-2.65, P=0.013<0.05). Two groups of patients' corneal astigmatism had been significantly reduced after one and six months. At the same time the difference of astigmatism degree between group A and group B was statistically significant (t=-2.26, P=0.03; t=-3.15, P=0.00). In areas of corneal smoothness and transparency,group A was better than group B (Z=-3.184, P=0.001<0.05). Recurrence rate in group A was 6.7%, while group B was 9.0%,there was no statistically significant difference in recurrence rates between the two groups(Fisher probability test, P>0.05), but the proliferation of corneal neovascularization in group A was reduced than that of group B(Z=-3.053,P=0.002<0.05). Conclusion The results suggest that PTK can be an effective therapeutic approach in the treatment of recurrent pterygium.