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PTERYGIUM/Ophthalmology/SDHCNHSFT/12.07/review date 12.09

Pterygium andPterygium Surgery

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Chapter 1 Pterygium and pterygium surgeryChapter 2 Consenting to your operation

Chapter 3 Your Pre-assessment appointmentChapter 4 The day of your operationChapter 5 After the operationChapter 6 Commonly used words and phrases

Useful phone numbers

Introduction

This booklet is to give you information about pterygium and tohelp you make a decision about surgery, if needed.

It is written in chapters so you can easily find informationbefore each visit telling you what to bring with you and what

will happen during the visit.

Some of the words used may seem confusing and scientific.

At the end of this booklet you will find a list of explanations ofcommonly used medical words and phrases.

Ask your specialist if there are any issues that concern themabout your case in particular and tell your specialist whichissue(s) concern you the most.

If you think that there is anything that this booklet does notexplain well enough, please tell us.

1. Pterygium and pterygium surgery

What is a Pterygium?

A pterygium is scar tissue on the surface of the eye that growsover the front of the cornea (the clear window at the front of theeye).

A pterygium usually grows very slowly, over many years. It ismore common in people who have been exposed to a lot ofsunlight during their lifetime. A pterygium may cause one ormore of the following:

Dissatisfaction with the cosmetic appearanceof the eye.

Redness of the eye.

Discomfort in the eye, which is usually a dry or gritty

sensation, caused by drying of the normal tear film on

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the surface of the pterygium or adjacent to it. In extreme cases a pterygium can grow over the central

part of the cornea and can cause blurred vision or thescarring may restrict the movement of the eye, causing

double vision.

Pterygium Surgery

Pterygium surgery can be performed under local anaesthesia(awake) or general anaesthesia (asleep). The choice is basedon the anticipated length and difficulty of the operation, your

suitability for different sorts of anaesthesia, your ownpreferences and your surgeons advice.

A routine pterygium operation would be expected to last about45 minutes and can usually be performed comfortably underlocal anaesthetic. Conversely, a recurrent pterygium (that hasre-grown after a previous operation) usually needs moreextensive surgery and a general anaesthetic is recommended.

You will usually be able to go home on the day of youroperation, but you may be asked to return for an eye check onthe following day.

Routine Pterygium Surgery

A recurrent pterygium may require additional surgicaltechniques, which could include the use of othertransplantation materials such as amniotic membrane or scleraand may also require the use of drugs on the eye such asmitomycin C, 5-fluorouracil or may require radiation treatmentto try to prevent another recurrence. The choice of techniquesdepends on the details of each individual case. However ingeneral the risks of surgery for a recurrent pterygium tend tobe higher and success rates lower.

2. Consenting to your operation

This chapter gives you information you should know before

agreeing to undergo surgery. We encourage you to read thisand ask any questions which may arise before signing theConsent Form to signify your agreement to an operation.If you have decided that you wish to go ahead with surgery youwill be asked to sign a consent form. You should only sign theform if you are satisfied with the explanations about theoperation and you understand the anticipated benefits and

risks.

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Holidays

Remember to inform your insurers about any recent eyetreatment and remember that insurance policies may not coverpre-existing eye problems or recent surgery.

Eye slight ly sticky

It is usual for the lids to be sticky after the operation, howeverthe stickiness should improve in the first two weeks after theoperation. Use a clean piece of cotton wool and cooledpreviously boiled water to clean your eyelids.

Wipe gently from the nose outwards then discard the cottonwool and repeat as necessary. Use separate cotton wool foreach eye. Do not attempt to clean inside the lids.

We hope you have found this booklet informative and usefuland that it has helped to make your experience of surgery as

relaxed as possible.

We regularly update the information and if there is anything wehave omitted or could have done better please let us know

6. Commonly used words and phrases

Cornea: The clear window at the front of the eye.

Conjunctiva: The thin semi-transparent tissue (membrane) thatlines the inner surfaces of the eyelids and the outer surface ofthe sclera.

Sclera: The tough opaque white outer coat that together withthe clear cornea makes up the eyeball.

Useful phone numbers

Eye Surgery Unit (01803) 655176(Mon Fri 8.30am 5pm)

Forrest Ward (01803) 655507(Mon Fri + weekends 5pm 8.30am)

Eye Clinic (01803) 655123(Mon Fri 8.30am 5pm

Hospi tal switchboard (01803) 614567

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