To compare the recurrence rates and complications with amniotic membrane transplantation (fibrin glue group and suture group), conjunctival autograft and conjunctivolimbal autograft in excision of primary pterygium.

Among 121 eyes of 115 patients with a minimum follow-up period of 12 months, 33 eyes of 31 patients underwent amniotic membrane transplantation with fibrin glue (Group 1) and 29 eyes of 28 patients underwent amniotic membrane transplantation with sutures (Group 2). Twenty-eight eyes of 26 patients underwent conjunctival autograft (Group 3), and 31 eyes of 30 patients underwent conjunctivolimbal autograft (Group 4). Recurrence rates and complications were evaluated retrospectively.

With a minimum of 12 months of follow-up, conjunctival recurrence was noted in seven eyes (21.2%) and six eyes (20.7%) in Group 1 and Group 2, respectively. Corneal recurrence occurred in one eye (3.0%) in Group 1 and in three eyes (10.3%) in Group 2 and no conjunctival or corneal recurrence were noted in Group 3 or Group 4. There was a statistically significant difference in conjunctival recurrence rates ( p =0.003), but not in corneal recurrence rates ( p =0.089) among the four groups.

Although amniotic membrane transplantation preserved the superotemporal conjunctiva and was a technically easy procedure, it had high conjunctival recurrence rates. Conjunctival autograft and conjunctivolimbal autograft are technically demanding and time consuming, but they are more effective in preventing conjunctival recurrence compared with amniotic membrane transplantation.