Pterygium Surgery
A pterygium is a fleshy, wing-shaped growth of tissue that creeps from the white of the eye onto the cornea, and surgery removes it along with a graft that greatly reduces the chance of it returning.
Speak to a specialist about Pterygium Surgery in Agartala.
What is Pterygium Surgery?
A pterygium is a fleshy, wing-shaped growth of tissue that creeps from the white of the eye onto the cornea, and surgery removes it along with a graft that greatly reduces the chance of it returning.
Also known as: Surfer’s eye · Fleshy growth on the eye · Naakhuna
Pterygium is common in anyone who works outdoors — farmers, drivers, labourers, fishermen — because sunlight, wind and dust drive it. It is usually a cosmetic and irritation problem first, and a vision problem only when it advances.
Book a consultation
Talk to our specialist about Pterygium Surgery.
Call 8583948238 or message on WhatsApp- Location
- Colonel Chowmuhani, Agartala
- Serving
- All 8 districts of Tripura
- Cashless
- TPA & insurance
Symptoms and when surgery is advised
- A visible fleshy triangular growth, usually on the nose side of the eye
- Persistent redness and a gritty, foreign-body sensation
- Recurrent inflammation with burning and watering, worse after sun or dust exposure
- Increasing astigmatism as the growth pulls on the cornea and distorts it
- Encroachment towards the pupil, which begins to obstruct vision
- Cosmetic concern, which is a legitimate reason for surgery in its own right
Why pterygium develops
- Cumulative ultraviolet exposure over years of outdoor work
- Chronic irritation from dust, wind and smoke
- Dry ocular surface, which magnifies all of the above
- It is more frequent in hot, sunny regions and in outdoor occupations
Treatment options at Wills Eye
Conservative management
Lubricants, occasional short anti-inflammatory courses and consistent UV protection for small, quiet pterygia that are not growing.
Excision with conjunctival autograft
The growth is removed and the bare area covered with a graft of your own conjunctiva. This is the technique that matters — bare-sclera excision without a graft has a high recurrence rate.
Fibrin glue or fine sutures
The graft is secured with tissue glue or very fine sutures, chosen for comfort and healing.
Adjunctive therapy
Considered in recurrent cases to reduce the risk of it growing back a second time.
What to expect — step by step
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1
Assessment
Size, extent onto the cornea, degree of inflammation and its effect on astigmatism and vision.
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2
Timing the surgery
Ideally operated when quiet rather than acutely inflamed, and before it reaches the visual axis.
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3
Day-care surgery
Local anaesthesia, roughly 30 to 45 minutes, and home the same day with the eye padded overnight.
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4
Follow-up
Reviews at day one, one week and one month, then periodically to watch for any early recurrence.
Recovery & aftercare
The eye is red, gritty and watery for one to two weeks — the graft site takes time to settle and the redness looks worse than it is. Drops continue for about a month, sometimes longer to discourage recurrence. Return to indoor work in a few days; outdoor and dusty work after two weeks, with sunglasses. Lifelong UV protection genuinely lowers the chance of it coming back.
Why timing matters
Operating a pterygium once it has reached the centre of the cornea means the scar it leaves behind is also central. Removing it while it is still short of the visual axis gives a much better visual result. If yours has been advancing measurably over a year, that is the argument for doing it sooner rather than waiting for it to affect sight.
Pterygium Surgery — frequently asked questions
Will the pterygium come back after surgery? +
Recurrence is much less likely with a conjunctival autograft than with simple excision, but it is not impossible — particularly in young patients with heavy sun exposure.
Is a pterygium cancerous? +
No, it is a benign degenerative growth. Any unusual, rapidly growing or pigmented lesion is examined carefully to be certain, since other conditions can look similar.
Can drops make it disappear? +
No. Drops reduce redness and irritation but cannot remove the tissue. Only surgery does that.
Does it need to be removed before cataract surgery? +
Often yes, because a pterygium distorts the corneal measurements used to calculate the lens power. We usually remove it first and let the eye stabilise.
More in Cornea & Ocular Surface
This page is written for general information about pterygium surgery and is not a substitute for examination and advice from a qualified eye doctor. Treatment recommendations depend on your individual findings.
Related treatments
Conditions and procedures often assessed alongside pterygium surgery.
Cornea Clinic
The cornea is the clear, dome-shaped front window of the eye that does most of its focusing, and corneal disease scatters or blocks light before it ever reaches the retina.
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Dry Eye Treatment
Dry eye is a condition in which the eyes either produce too few tears or tears of poor quality, so the surface is inadequately protected and becomes gritty, burning and tired.
Learn more →
Red Eye Treatment
A red eye is a symptom, not a diagnosis — it can be caused by anything from a harmless burst blood vessel to sight-threatening glaucoma or corneal infection, and the accompanying symptoms are what separate them.
Learn more →