AIM: To study the effect of pterygium excision combined with amniotic membrane transplantation for tear film function.

METHODS: Totally 82 cases(122 eyes)with pterygium treated in our hospital from October 2013 to October 2015 were selected and divided into observation group 39 cases(61 eyes)and control group 43 cases(61 eyes)by the random number table method. The control group was treated with simple pterygium excision, the observation group was treated with pterygium excision combined with amniotic membrane transplantation. The comparison of tear break-up time(BUT)and Schirmer I test(SⅠt)at preoperatively, 1, 3mo postoperatively between the two groups, ocular surface temperature and dry eye symptoms at 2mo were taken.

RESULTS: There was no significant difference in BUT and SⅠt between the control group and the observation group before operation(P>0.05). At 1mo after operation, the BUT of the observation group was 5.79±1.53s, which was significantly higher than that of the control group(4.28±0.98s)(t=2.478, P=0.012); the SⅠt of the observation group was 4.39±1.69mm/5min, higher than that of the control group(3.51±0.89mm/5min)(t=1.529, P=0.079). At 3mo after operation, the BUT of the observation group was 7.49±1.79s, significantly higher than that of the control group(6.71±1.89s)(t=2.271, P=0.026); the SⅠt of observation group was 9.58±1.30mm/5min, higher than the control group(8.91±1.49mm/5min)(t=1.857, P=0.068). At 2mo after operation, the eye of the observation group showed that the temperature was 34.29℃±0.67℃, higher than that of the control group(34.18℃±1.58℃)(t=1.033, P=0.278); the dry eye symptom score in the observation group(3.87±0.14)was significantly lower than that in the control group(5.34±0.78)(t=14.463, P<0.01).

CONCLUSION: Pterygium excision combined with amniotic membrane transplantation can effectively improve the dry eye, which is conducive to the stability of tear film function.