AIM: To analyze the effect of corneal limbus stem cell transplantation and amniotic membrane transplantation in treatment of recurrent pterygium with symblepharon.

METHODS:Totally 80 cases of patients with recurrent pterygium and symblepharon were randomly divided into pterygium resection combined with limbal stem cell transplantation group and pterygium excision with amniotic membrane transplantation group, 40 cases in each group. All patients were followed up for 6mo after the operation, the recurrence rate of pterygium and symblepharon were observed.

RESULTS:There were 2 cases of recurrence in the group of corneal limbus stem cell transplantation(5%), 8 cases of recurrence in the group of amniotic membrane transplantation(20%), with statistical difference between two groups(P<0.05).

CONCLUSION:Two kinds operation could significantly reduce the recurrence rate of recurrent pterygium, but the corneal limbus stem cell transplantation group has the lower recurrence rate.