AIM: To compare the pain after pterygium surgery with retrograde rip method and excision method.

METHODS: Totally, 160 pterygium patients(160 eyes)accepted surgery: 80 cases(80 eyes)underwent retrograde rip method and 80 cases(80 eyes)underwent excision method. The pain experience was graded 24h after the operation, difference of which between two groups was evaluated.

RESULTS: The number of cases suffering 0, 1, 2, 3 degree of pain was 4, 45, 23, 8 in retrograde rip group and 1, 30, 33, 16 in excision group respectively, with differences of statistical significance among them(Z=-2.995, P=0.03).

CONCLUSION: The pain degree experienced in retrograde rip method is lower than that in traditional excision method. Retrograde rip method has unique advantage in treating pterygium in cephalosome tissue.