AIM: To investigate the effects of amniotic membrane transplantation combined with limbal stem cell autograft transplantation on ocular surface repair time, repair rate and complications in patients with ocular burns.

METHODS: The clinical data of each 61 cases(61 eyes)of patients with ocular burns who were treated by limbal stem cell autograft transplantation(control group)or amniotic membrane transplantation combined with limbal stem cell autograft transplantation(observation group)were retrospectively analyzed. The postoperative ocular surface repair rate, repair time, and visual acuity and complications(symblepharon, corneal neovascularization, and keratohelcosis)at 12wk after operation were recorded in the two groups, and the levels of cytokines \〖vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF), transforming growth factor-β1(TGF-β1), insulin-like growth factor-1(IGF-1)\〗 were compared between the two groups before operation and at 2wk after operation.

RESULTS: The postoperative ocular surface repair rate in observation group was higher than that in control group(P<0.05)while the repair time was less than that in control group(P<0.05). At 12wk after operation, the visual acuity in observation group was significantly better than that in control group(P<0.05), and the total incidence rate of postoperative complications in observation group was significantly lower than that in control group(P<0.05). At 2wk after operation, the levels of serum VEGF, TGF-β1 and IGF-1 in the two groups were significantly higher than those before operation(P<0.05), and the levels in control group were higher than those in observation group(P<0.05).

CONCLUSION: Amniotic membrane transplantation combined with limbal stem cell autograft transplantation has significant treatment effects on patients with ocular burns, and it can promote ocular surface repair, improve postoperative visual acuity, and can also regulate corneal neovascularization, and it also has positive significance in reducing the risk of postoperative complications.