AIM: To study the changes of corneal curvature after the operation of pterygium excision with transplantation and pterygium excision with limbal stem cell transplantation.

METHODS:Patients with pterygium were selected. They were divided into 2 groups in random: simple pterygium excision was performed in group A; pterygium excision with limbal stem cell transplantation was performed in group B. The results of visual acuity, astigmatism, corneal curvature and central anterior chamber depth were tested between pre-surgery, post-surgery 15 day and post-surgery 1 month.

RESULTS:Visual acuity seemed to be mostly unaffected up to a height of 2.5mm. Naked visual acuity of post-surgery was better than that of pre-surgery. Corneal horizontal curvature on post-surgery was statistically and significantly improved. Corneal vertical curvature: group A, the corneal vertical curvature of post-surgery was higher than that of pre-surgery(P<0.05); 15 days postoperatively, the vertical curvature of group B had no statistical difference with that of pre-surgery(P>0.05), and 1 month postoperatively, the vertical curvature was higher than that of pre-surgery and post-surgery 15 days(P<0.05). Corneal mean curvature on post-surgery was statistically and significantly better than that of pre-surgery.

CONCLUSION: The patient's naked eye visual acuity is improved after pterygium surgery; the horizontal diameter line curvature of the cornea is ascended, but the vertical diameter line curvature of the cornea did not change significantly.