[Treatment of severe recurrent symblepharopterygium: combined ipsilateral autologous limbus and homologous amniotic membrane transplantation].

BACKGROUND

This retrospective study reports on four patients with severe recurrent symblepharopterygium formation and extensive subconjunctival scarring who were treated with a novel surgical technique combining free limbal autografting and amniotic membrane transplantation.

PATIENTS AND

METHODS

The surgical technique included symblepharolysis, meticulous removal of subconjunctival scar tissue, ipsilateral free limbal autograft and homologous amniotic membrane transplantation.

RESULTS

There were no intraoperative or postoperative adverse events and three patients had no manifestation of recurrence of pterygium, symblepharon or diplopia during a mean follow-up period of 172 ± 18 weeks (39 ± 4 months) postoperatively. Only one patient had persistent symblepharon and experienced a recurrence of pterygium approximately 40 weeks (9 months) after surgery.

CONCLUSION

The results suggest that ipsilateral autologous limbal and homologous amniotic membrane transplantation can be an effective therapeutic approach in the treatment of recurrent pterygium with symblepharon formation.