Changes is Visual Acuity, Keratometry and Refraction in Patients after Pterygium Grade I and Grade II Surgery

Abstract

Pterygium is a conjunctival fibrovascular tissue growth extending over the cornea. It may exceedthe pupil area, interfere with vision and generate traction that could cause refractive changes.<em><strong>Objective:</strong></em> To determine changes in visual acuity in keratometry and the refractive state after mildto moderate pterygium surgery. <em><strong>Materials and Methods:</strong></em> Descriptive observational study in which52 eyes of 46 patients who were diagnosed with grade i or grade ii pterygium were evaluated atthe San Antonio Hospital in Chia. Each patient’s visual acuity, keratometry and refraction wasmeasured before and one month after pterygium surgery. The ji2 (c2), t paired and Wilcoxon testswere performed. <em><strong>Results:</strong></em> The group with grade i pterygium showed no statistically or clinicallysignificant differences in visual acuity (p = 0.14), or keratometry (p = 0.69) or refraction (p = 0.33)after surgery. The group with grade ii pterygium showed statistically significant differences inkeratometry (p = 0.0042), but not in visual acuity (p = 0.88) or in refraction (p = 0.52), but thesepatients showed a trend to diminish their vision with a tendency to be more myopic. <em><strong>Conclusions:</strong></em> No significant changes were seen after surgery in the patient group with grade i pterygium, whilethe group with pterygium grade ii saw a statistically significant change in keratometry and clinicallyrelevant changes in visual acuity without correction. Therefore the present study suggeststhat the optical prescription of the patient must be given after the post surgical period.