AIM: To introduce a technique to improve the excision of primary pterygium and evaluate the surgical outcomes.

METHODS: Recorded of consecutive cases were reviewed of pterygium patients treated with pterygium removal between March 2015 and February 2016 in People's Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China. Primary nasal pterygium patients with at least 3mo follow-up periods were included. Finally, 85 patients(85 eyes)were investigated, 44 eyes were operated with 20% ethanol(the study group)and 41 eyes were operated without 20% ethanol(the control group).

RESULTS: All of the 85 patients enrolled had no intraoperative and postoperative complications. The mean healing time of the corneal epithelium for the study group was statistically significant different of 2.84±0.43d compared with the control group of 3.12±0.64d(P<0.05). Overall, postoperative symptoms(pain, irritation, foreign body sensation and epiphora)were significantly different in postoperative 3d between the two groups(P<0.05). No statistically significant differences in corneal endothelium morphologies were found in two groups between preoperative and 2wk, 1 and 3mo postoperative, or between the two groups at any corresponding time point(all P>0.05). Between the two groups, there were no statistically significant differences in best-corrected visual acuity(BCVA)at preoperative, postoperative 2wk and 1mo(all P>0.05), but statistically significant difference was found in BCVA at the 3mo after surgery(P<0.05).

CONCLUSION: The removal of primary pterygium with 20% ethanol is a simple and safe technique that helps to establish a clear separation plane between the pterygium and the underlying cornea.