What Researchers Did
Researchers treated 39 eyes with recurrent pterygium using surgical excision, limbal conjunctival autograft, and adjuvant hyperbaric oxygen therapy, then monitored them for recurrence.
What They Found
Among 39 eyes treated for recurrent pterygium, only one recurrence was observed in the 18 eyes with a history of beta radiation or mitomycin C exposure over a mean follow-up of 23.1 months. The remaining 21 eyes, without prior exposure, showed no recurrences over a mean follow-up of 19.4 months, and no significant complications from hyperbaric oxygen therapy were recorded.
What This Means for Canadian Patients
Canadian patients experiencing recurrent pterygium could potentially benefit from adjuvant hyperbaric oxygen therapy combined with surgical excision and limbal conjunctival autograft. This approach may offer a practical way to reduce the likelihood of the pterygium returning, improving long-term outcomes for eye health.
Canadian Relevance
This study has no direct Canadian connection as it was not conducted in Canada, nor did it involve Canadian researchers or patients.
Study Limitations
A key limitation of this study is the lack of a control group, which makes it difficult to definitively attribute the low recurrence rate solely to the hyperbaric oxygen therapy.