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Subconjunctival dexamethasone-assisted conjunctival autograft harvesting versus normal saline during pterygium surgery - A randomized clinical trial

Meena A, Agrawal A, Parmar G, Gurnani B

Indian journal of ophthalmology, 2024

52 participants · 1 citation

Abstract

Purpose: To evaluate the effect of subconjunctival dexamethasone compared to normal saline on conjunctival autograft harvesting in patients undergoing pterygium surgery.

Methods: Fifty-two eyes of 52 patients who underwent pterygium excision combined with autologous conjunctival graft (CAG) using releasable suture were included in this prospective interventional study. The patients were randomized into two groups of 26 patients each. Group A consisted of patients in whom CAG was harvested using subconjunctival 0.5 ml of 0.4% dexamethasone sodium phosphate and in group B patients, normal saline was used. The patients were assessed for postoperative pain, foreign body sensation, and watering as the subjective signs of inflammation and conjunctival inflammation and lid edema as the objective signs of inflammation at 12 and 24 h postsurgery.

Results: The mean age of group A and B patients was 47.69 + 13.09 and 46.00 + 10.76 years, respectively. The male:female ratio was 1.6:1 in group A and 1.1:1 in group B. The mean surgical time in group A was 243.96 ± 52.13 s and in group B was 258.08 ± 43.99 s. Postoperative pain, foreign body sensation, and watering were significantly lower in group A patients than in group B patients at both 12 and 24 h postoperatively (group A: 4.65 ± 1.33, 4.88 ± 1.73, and 3.85 ± 1.43, respectively, at 12 h; 1.89 ± 1.03, 1.69 ± 1.09, and 1.69 ± 0.97, respectively, at 24 h and group B: 6.42 ± 0.95, 6.65 ± 0.98, and 6.27 ± 1.40, respectively, at 12 h; 3.27…

How strong is the evidence?

Evidence Hub reads this as a randomized trial, done in people. Its evidence level is 2 of 5 (High · randomized trial). Randomized trials of a reasonable size are the strongest single-study design. Reported size: 52 participants or records.

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