AIM: To investigate the effect of rigid contact lens in the treatment after pterygium excision and limbal stem cell transplantation in senile patients.

METHODS: Totally 90 elderly patients diagnosed as unilateral pterygium in our hospital from March 2015 to March 2016 were selected and divided into two groups, observation group and control group, 45 case with 45 eyes in each group. Observation group was treated with limbal stem cell transplantation and rigid contact lens. Control group was treated with limbal stem cell transplantation only. The following indicators were observed and compared: corneal healing time, visual analogue score(VAS)at 1, 3, 5 and 7d after surgery and the recurrence rate of pterygium.

RESULTS: The score on corneal irritation of observation group was significantly lower than that of control group(P<0.05). Control group took more time on corneal healing than observation group(P<0.05). VAS of control group were higher than that of the observation group at 1 and 2d after treatment with significant difference(P<0.05). The recurrence rates of pterygium were not statistically significant between the two groups(P>0.05).

CONCLUSION: Autologous corneal stem cell transplantation combined with rigid contact lens for pterygium in elderly patients is effective with shorter healing time and less pain, and it does not increase the recurrence rate.