METHODS: Totally 116 patients with pterygium treated in the hospital between January 2018 and December 2019 were recruited in the study. They were divided into control group and observation group by random number table method, 58 cases in each group. The control group received extended pterygium resection and autologous corneal limbal stem cell transplantation. On this basis, the observation group was treated with bandage contact lens. The best corrected visual acuity(BCVA), surface asymmetry index(SAI)of corneal topography, surface regularity index(SRI), corneal refractive power and postoperative complications in the two groups were compared.

RESULTS: Compared with preoperation, the BCVA of the two groups was significantly higher 1mo and 3mo after operation(P<0.05), without statistically significant difference between the groups(P>0.05). Corneal horizontal and vertical curvature of the two groups were significantly higher, while corneal astigmatism was significantly lower at 1mo and 3mo after surgery. Meanwhile, the observation group had significantly lower corneal astigmatism than the control group(P<0.05). SAI and SRI of the two groups significantly decreased, which were significantly lower in the observation group than in the control group(P<0.05). No complications such as infection, poor healing of grafts and subconjunctival cysts were observed. The incidence of eye irritation was significantly lower in the observation group than in the control group, and lower at 2wk than at 1wk before operation(P<0.05).

CONCLUSION: Extended pterygium resection combined with autologous corneal limbal stem cell transplantation and bandage contact lens is more conductive to the improvement of corneal refraction in patients with pterygium, which also can reduce the incidence of eye irritation.