Pterygium Treatment Perth

What is a Pterygium

A pterygium is best described as tissue growth on the surface of your eye.

Typically, it begins as a small reddened and thickened area in the corner of the eye and is most commonly triangular in shape. It can often extend across the surface of the cornea.

If left untreated it has the potential to affect your vision as it may cover the pupil visual axis or cause astigmatism.

Help centre – What is an Astigmatism

Astigmatism – An astigmatism is usually due to imperfection in the curvature of your cornea (the clear outer layer of your eye). The cornea and lens are usually smooth and curved equally to help focus light rays onto the retina, to help you see.

If your cornea or lens isn’t smooth and evenly curved, light rays aren’t refracted properly, distorting your vision.

Pterygium symptoms

Symptoms may include:

    • Redness
    • Irritation
    • Unsightly appearance (cosmesis)
    • Feeling of grittiness in your eye
    • Dry eyes and;
    • Loss of vision.

Pterygium Treatment Perth

Potential causes of pterygium

The potential causes of pterygium may include:

    • Excessive exposure to UV light
    • Dust, wind and air pollution and;
    • Hereditary factors.

Pterygium Treatment Perth

 

Early stages

Your ophthalmologist can help monitor your Pterygium in its early stages and can recommend the use of eye drops to help with redness and irritation. Please discuss with them any potential side effect that may result from their use.

Surgery

For chronic cases where the Pterygium is causing excessive irritation, redness, cosmetic issues and/or potential or actual vision impairment, surgery may be recommended to remove it.

Our surgeons use TISSEEL Glue (fibrin coagulant) to minimise suturing of conjunctival autograft and to enhance postoperative recovery and minimise recurrence rate.

As with any operation there may be risks associated with surgical removal, which our team will discuss with you in detail.

If you have any questions about Pterygium or would like to book an appointment please:

 

Pterygium Treatment Perth

Our specialist eye doctors see patients from all over Western Australia. They have extensive experience in the diagnosis and treatment of Pterygium. WA Eye Specialists have four practices located in Perth in Armadale, Joondalup, Midland, Murdoch and South Perth.