AIM:To explore the different surgical methods on tear function in patients with pterygium and its possible mechanism.·METHODS:Fifty cases of pterygium patients (50 eyes) were randomly divided into two groups,A group of 30 patients (30 eyes) underwent pterygium excision combined with pedicle conjunctival flap,B group of 20 patients (20 eyes) underwent wing-shaped pterygium excision combined with autologous limbal stem cell transplantation.Respectively before and 1 month,3 months after surgery the tear film break-up time (BUT),Schirmer I test,conjunctiva fluorescein staining (CFS),tear fern tilting test (TFT) were checked.Ocular surface disease index (OSDI) was used to evaluate the effects of tear function changes in pterygium and on quality of patients life after pterygium excision and to make statistical analysis.·RESULTS:Of two groups of patients 1 months posto-peration BUT shortened,CFS increased,OSDI become high,tear fern crystallization was poor,and the differences were significant (P<0.05),while the difference between postoperative and preoperative Schirmer I was insignifi-cant.As for 3 months postoperation BUT,Schirmer I,CFS,OSDI,TFT postoperative and preoperative difference of the two groups was not significant.BUT after 1 month of B group was longer than the A group,CFS less than the A group,OSDI higher than the A group,tear fern crystals better than A group,the difference was signifi-cant (P<0.05),while for the two groups SchirmerI 1mo after surgery,there was no significant difference.There was no significant difference between both groups on BUT,Schirmer I,CFS,OSDI,TFT 3 months after surgery.·CONCLUSION:Pterygium excision affected tear film function at the early postoperative stage.Tear film function returned to preoperative levels 3 months after surgery.Influence of pterygium excision combined with autologous limbal stem cell transplantation on function of the tear film is less than that of pterygium excision combined with conjunctival pedicle flap grafting at early postoperative stage.