Pterygium
Pterygium Treatment Brisbane
What is a pterygium?
A pterygium is a fleshy, triangular overgrowth of the conjunctiva, the thin clear membrane on the eye’s surface. This eye condition is relatively common – around one in every 100 Australians will develop a pterygium at some point in their lives.
Usually, a pterygium will grow from the inner corner of the eye, although sometimes it will develop on the outer corner or both sides of the eye simultaneously. Pterygia may affect one or both eyes.
While a pterygium is a benign growth, it can cause discomfort, blurry vision and even disfigure the eye permanently. When left untreated, a pterygium can grow across the cornea, further affecting vision and becoming more prominent. In such cases, treatment will be required.
What causes a pterygium?
Although it is not entirely known what causes a pterygium to develop, the main contributing factors include excessive exposure to sun, dust, and wind.
As such, you may be at a higher risk of developing a pterygium if you spend a lot of time outdoors or live in a hot, sunny environment, such as Queensland. Most people with pterygia are between 30 and 50 years old, with some estimates suggesting that 12 percent of Australian men over 60 have a pterygium. In addition, having fair skin and light eyes may also increase your risk.
What are the symptoms of a pterygium?
When a pterygium first develops, you may dismiss it as a general eye irritation. However, as a pterygium worsens, you may experience more noticeable symptoms, such as:
- Mild eye pain
- Burning, itchiness and irritation
- Inflammation
- The feeling that something foreign is stuck in the eyes
- Bloodshot eyes
- Vision problems
If you experience any of these, please talk to your eye doctor.
How is a pterygium diagnosed?
Dr Jayne Camuglia can identify a pterygium solely on sight, without the need for any special tests. However, in some cases, she may use a special microscope to magnify your eyes so that she can confirm your diagnosis.
Are pterygia preventable?
There are a number of simple steps that you can take to protect your eyes and prevent a pterygium from developing. Whenever you are outdoors, you should wear high-quality, wrap-around sunglasses with an Eye Protection Factor of at least nine out of ten. Wearing a wide-brimmed hat is another way to protect your eyes from exposure to the sun and wind.
How is pterygium treated?
People choose to remove their pterygium for many reasons, for example, because they experience prolonged irritation, the pterygium threatens the central cornea, or they simply find the condition unattractive. The only way to remove a pterygium is through surgery, although you may not need it right away.
If a pterygium is only causing minor irritation, Dr Jayne Camuglia may prescribe eye drops or an ointment to soothe and lubricate the area. However, if a pterygium is growing significantly, spreading across the eye, or causing vision problems, it may be time to talk to Dr Camuglia about surgery.
Frequently Asked Questions
Pterygium surgery involves removing the pterygium and filling it with a piece of membrane taken from another place on the eye’s surface. This method of pterygium removal reduces the recurrence rate to less than one percent. This procedure takes between one and two hours to complete.
During the procedure, Dr Jayne Camuglia will first numb the eyes with anaesthetic to prevent any discomfort during the procedure. She will then surgically remove the pterygium, along with some associated conjunctiva tissue. The resultant defect is then replaced with a large graft of membrane retrieved from another area of the eye.
Before undergoing pterygium surgery, Dr Jayne Camuglia will let you know of any steps you may need to prepare. This could include fasting beforehand, stopping certain medications or not wearing your contact lenses. You will also need to arrange for someone to drive you to and from the procedure.
Following pterygium removal surgery, you may experience some eye pain, double and blurry vision, and eye redness. This is all normal and can be managed with medications prescribed by Dr Jayne Camuglia.
Dr Camuglia may ask you to wear a pad or patch over the eye for the first few days after surgery to prevent infection. You also must not rub your eyes following the procedure to prevent dislodging the newly attached tissue. Typically, complete healing occurs within a few weeks.
No procedure is without risk. Although complications after pterygium removal surgery are uncommon, they may include:
- Development of a cyst, proud flesh, or infection
- Persistent double vision
- Graft tissue not settling in
- Drooping eyelids
- Loss of vision
If you notice anything abnormal following pterygium surgery, you should get in touch with Dr Jayne Camuglia immediately.
Dr Jayne Camuglia is a General Adult and Paediatric Ophthalmologist with a particular interest in pterygium removal. If you believe that you may have a pterygium, please get in touch to see Dr Camuglia today.