To compare the clinical results, recurrence rates, and recurrence-related risk factors of permanent amniotic membrane transplantation (PAMT, group 1) and temporary amniotic membrane patch (TAMP, group 2) after excision of primary pterygium.

Recurrence grades were evaluated for 66 eyes (T1, T2, and T3; 0, 32, and 34 eyes, respectively) in group 1 and 73 eyes (T1, T2, and T3; 2, 42, and 29 eyes, respectively) in group 2. Surgical results were classified into surgical success (G0 or G1), conjunctival recurrence (G2), and corneal recurrence (G3). Recurrence rates were analyzed based on gender, age, Tan's preoperative grading system, horizontal and vertical length of the preoperative pterygium, the corneal involvement size of the preoperative pterygium, and epithelial healing time.

In the postoperative grading, 3 eyes (4.5%) and 1 eye (1.5%) in group 1, and 4 eyes (5.5%) and 2 eyes (2.7%) in group 2 were graded as clinically recurrence-occurred G2 and G3, respectively. There was no statistically significant difference in recurrence-occurred G2 and G3 cases between the two groups ( p = 0.62). No risk factors of clinically significant G2 and G3 recurrence were identified in either group by Cox proportional hazards survival regression analysis.

The results of the present study suggest that PAMT tends to lower the recurrence rate compared to TAMP because the PAMT group had more T3 eyes than the TAMP group, although the two groups showed no statistically significant difference in clinically significant recurrence after pterygium excision.