Will a pterygium go away with eye drops?

No. While lubricating or steroid eye drops can temporarily relieve the redness and irritation, they cannot shrink or remove the fleshy growth. The only definitive cure is surgical excision.

How long is the recovery time?

Because we use sutureless glue technology, initial healing is very fast. You may experience minor scratchiness for a few days, but most patients can return to work and driving within 3 to 5 days, though the eye may remain slightly red for a few weeks.

Pterygium Surgery in Jaipur | Sutureless Autograft

Q: Will the growth come back after surgery?

With older, outdated surgical methods, the recurrence rate was very high. At Prasan Nethralaya, we perform a 'Conjunctival Autograft.' By covering the excision site with your own healthy tissue, the recurrence rate drops to near zero.

Understanding "Surfer's Eye"

A Pterygium (pronounced tuh-RIJ-ee-um) is a fleshy, wedge-shaped growth of pink tissue that begins on the white of the eye (the conjunctiva) and aggressively grows over the clear central window (the cornea). It is heavily linked to chronic exposure to ultraviolet (UV) sunlight, wind, and dust, which is why it is colloquially known as "Surfer's Eye."

While a pterygium is a benign (non-cancerous) growth, it is far from harmless. As the thick tissue crawls across the cornea, it physically warps the shape of the eye, inducing severe astigmatism and blurring your vision. Additionally, the growth is highly vascular, meaning it is filled with blood vessels that cause the eye to look constantly red, bloodshot, and irritated. Eye drops cannot dissolve the tissue; the only definitive cure is surgical removal.

When is Surgery Required?

A small pterygium can be monitored, but surgical excision becomes medically necessary when:

• The growth begins to obscure your central visual axis.
• It induces irregular astigmatism, causing severe blurriness.
• Chronic redness and foreign-body sensation resist eye drops.
• The cosmetic appearance causes significant social distress.

The "No-Stitch" Surgical Protocol

Decades ago, surgeons would simply cut the pterygium off, leaving the white of the eye bare. This resulted in an unacceptably high recurrence rate (the growth coming back, often more aggressively). Today, Dr. Neelam Sharma performs a highly advanced, three-step technique that drops the recurrence rate to near zero.

1. Micro-Excision

Under local anesthesia (numbing drops), the eye is completely pain-free. Dr. Neelam meticulously peels the pterygium off the cornea and excises the diseased tissue from the white of the eye, leaving a perfectly clean surface.

2. Conjunctival Autograft (CAG)

To prevent the pterygium from growing back, the bare area must be covered. Dr. Neelam takes a microscopic, paper-thin patch of healthy, normal tissue from underneath your upper eyelid (where it receives no sun exposure). This healthy "autograft" is transferred to the excision site.

3. Sutureless Fibrin Glue

This is the critical difference. Instead of using irritating stitches to hold the graft in place—which cause scratching, pain, and take weeks to heal—we use a specialized, bio-compatible tissue adhesive called Fibrin Glue. This medical super-glue instantly bonds the healthy graft to the eye. It completely eliminates the pain of stitches, cuts the surgical time in half, and dramatically accelerates the healing process.

Rapid Recovery

Because the procedure is entirely sutureless, postoperative discomfort is minimal. You may experience a feeling like an eyelash is in your eye for the first 24 to 48 hours. We provide a soft bandage contact lens and powerful anti-inflammatory drops to ensure your comfort. Most patients return to normal activities and driving within 3 to 5 days. Crucially, because we use the autograft technique, you can confidently return to your life without the constant fear of the red growth returning.

Cornea Specialist

Dr. Neelam Sharma

Cornea & Anterior Segment

Mastering precise, sutureless conjunctival autografting to ensure flawless cosmetic results and zero recurrence.

View Credentials ↗

Surgical Consultation

Stop relying on drops that don't work. Secure your evaluation for sutureless removal.

Patient
Questions.

Clinical clarity regarding recurrence, tissue glue, and the recovery timeline.

Pterygium is primarily caused by prolonged exposure to ultraviolet (UV) sunlight, chronic dry eyes, and environmental irritants like wind and dust. It is extremely common in hot, dry climates, which is why UV-protective sunglasses are critical.

No. While lubricating or mild steroid eye drops can temporarily relieve the redness, swelling, and irritation, they absolutely cannot shrink or remove the fleshy tissue. The only definitive cure is surgical excision.

With older, outdated surgical methods (bare sclera), the recurrence rate was unacceptably high. At Prasan Nethralaya, we perform a 'Conjunctival Autograft.' By covering the excision site with your own healthy, UV-protected tissue, the recurrence rate drops to near zero.

We offer Sutureless Pterygium Surgery. Instead of using stitches, which can be irritating, cause painful friction when you blink, and take weeks to dissolve, Dr. Neelam uses a specialized, bio-compatible tissue adhesive (fibrin glue) to secure the graft instantly.

Because we use sutureless glue technology, initial healing is incredibly fast. You may experience minor scratchiness for 24-48 hours, but most patients can comfortably return to work and driving within 3 to 5 days, though the white of the eye may remain slightly red for a few weeks as it heals cosmetically.