AIM: To evaluate the application value of 3g/L sodium hyaluronate eye drops combined with corneal bandage contact lens in the early stage of pterygium excision surgery.

METHODS: In this double blind randomized controlled study, 90 eyes of 90 patients with unilateral primary nasal pterygium who underwent surgical treatment from March 2017 to March 2018 were sorted into three groups, named as group A, group B and group C. Group A was treated with +3g/L sodium hyaluronate eye dropsand corneal bandage contact lens; group B was treated with +1g/L sodium hyaluronate eye drops and corneal bandage contact lens; and group C with +3g/L sodium hyaluronate and patching. Ocular surface irritation symptom scores, corneal epithelial healing time and conjunctival graft edema subsidence time of the three groups were compared after treatment.

RESULTS: Ocular surface irritation symptom scores in group A were lower than those in group C at all observation time points postoperatively(all P<0.001); the corneal epithelial healing time(2.08±0.78d)and conjunctival graft edema subsidence time(4.62±1.17d)in group A were significantly shorter than those in group C with corneal epithelial healing time(5.13±2.34d)and conjunctival graft edema subsidence time(6.42±1.51d)(P=0.001, P=0.002). The corneal epithelial healing time was significantly shorterin group A when compared with group B(P=0.018), but there were no significant differences in ocular surface irritation symptom scores and conjunctival graft edema subsidence time between the two groups.

CONCLUSION: The combination of 3g/L sodium hyaluronate and corneal bandage contact lens has synergistic effect when applicated in the early stage after pterygium excision surgery, it can effectively shorten the corneal epithelial healing time as well as relieve irritation symptoms.