AIM: To observe the clinical effects of the excision of pterygium combined with limbal epithelial autograft with conjunctival grafting on recurrent pterygium.

METHODS: Totally 84 patients(84 eyes)with first recurrent pterygium were allocated two groups: excision pterygium with limbal epithelial autograft with conjunctival(group A, 43 cases with 43 eyes)and excision of pterygium with conjunctival autograft(group B, 41 cases with 41 eyes), the post-operative follow-up period of 12 months, we analyzed the repair time of epithelium, tear break-up time(1 month and 3 months), Schirmer l test(1 month and 3 months), corneal fluorescence staining test(1 month and 3 months), and recurrent rate.

RESULTS: The group A had a shorter repair time of epithelium and lower recurrent rate, compared with the group B, which had statistically significant difference(P<0.05), but there was no statistically significant difference in the tear break-up time, corneal fluorescence staining test and the Schirmer l test in 1 month and 3 months between the two groups(P>0.05).

CONCLUSION:Limbal epithelial autograft with conjunctival transplantation is a convenient, safe, effective method for the treatment of recurrent pterygium.