AIM: To investigate the clinical effects of soft corneal contact lens after excision of pterygium and limbal stem cell transplantation in elderly patients.

METHODS:Totally 90 patients(90 eyes)with unilateral pterygium were divided into two groups according to the random number table method. The observation group(45 cases)were treated with soft corneal contact lens after corneal limbal autograft transplantation merely, 45 cases of the control group were treated by autologous limbal stem cell transplantation. According to the data obtained from two groups of patients, the following indicators were compared: corneal healing time, symptom score of corneal irritation in 1d, 3d, 5d, 7d after operation, postoperative 24h、48h, two groups of patients with pain(VAS score),the recurrence rate of pterygium.

RESULTS: In control group, the corneal healing time(5.38±1.67d)was more than that of observation group(3.10±1.12d; P<0.05); Score of the corneal stimulation symptom and VAS after operation were higher than those of the control group(P<0.05), and the difference in recurrence of pterygium was not statistically significant(P>0.05).

CONCLUSION: Autologous corneal stem cells combined with soft corneal contact lens in treatment of elderly patients with pterygium can reduce the healing time, and reduce the postoperative symptom of corneal irritation, meanwhile it has no effect on the recurrence rate of pterygium.