A pterygium is a wing-shaped extension of thickened tissue on the surface (conjunctiva) of the white of the eye, which grows onto the adjacent cornea (the window into the eye).

If a pterygium is affecting your vision, or is particularly unsightly, and cannot be managed with eye drops, pterygium surgery may be the answer. Dr. Chirag Shah is an expert in pterygium surgery, which is performed under local anesthetic, and only takes about an hour.

During pterygium surgery, your surgeon will carefully remove the pterygium from your eye, and cover the area with a small graft of your own tissue. You shouldn’t feel any pain or major discomfort during surgery, though your eye will feel scratchy for a few days afterwards, and will be red for a couple of weeks. You’ll need to use eye drops for about a month, and the stitches used will dissolve naturally.