Comparison of bare sclera combined with mitomycin c technique and limbal- conjunctival autograft technique in primary pterygium surgery

Aim: To compare the clinical efficacy of the Bare Sclera Technique combined with Mitomycin C (MMC-BS) and the Limbal Conjunctival Autograft (LCA) technique in the surgical treatment of primary pterygium. Methods: A total of 70 eyes from 50 patients were retrospectively analyzed, with 32 (45.8%) operated using the MMC-BS technique and 38 (54.2%) using the LCA technique. The duration of surgery, complication rates, and recurrence rates were compared. Results: The mean follow-up period was 14.52±5.25 months (range: 9-18 months) in the LCA group and 14.65±5.32 months (range: 9-18 months) in the MMC-BS group (p=0.94). The duration of surgery was statistically significantly shorter in the MMC-BS group (17.13±2.8 minutes) compared to the LCA group (29.4±6.2 minutes) (p < 0.001). No recurrences were observed in the LCA group, whereas one eye in the MMC-BS group showed recurrence at the 3-month follow-up. There was no statistically significant difference in postoperative complications between the two groups (p < 0.5). Conclusion: The results of our study suggest that both the LCA and MMC-BS are safe and effective methods for primary pterygium surgery. Additionally, the MMC-BS technique reduces operation time and patient symptoms.