A comparative study of the recurrence rate and complications between mitomycin-C, interferon alpha-2b, and bevacizumab after primary pterygium surgery

Purpose: To compare subconjunctival bevacizumab injection, interferon (IFN) alpha-2b administration, and intraoperative mitomycin-C (MMC) administration as adjuvants for reducing the recurrence rate and postoperative complications following pterygium surgery. Methods This experimental comparative study involving a double-blinded clinical trial included 63 consecutive patients with primary pterygium who were surgically treated with free conjunctival autograft surgery. In addition to surgical excision, the patients were divided into three groups and treated with subconjunctival bevacizumab (10 mg/ml), subconjunctival IFN alpha-2b, or subconjunctival MMC (0.02 mg/ml). Postoperative outcomes were clinically followed up for 12 months. The main outcomes were the recurrence rate and postoperative complications. Results There was no significant difference in the recurrence rate among the three groups. In the bevacizumab group, conjunctival congestion was significantly greater than that in the other groups. No other serious complications were observed in the IFN or MMC groups. Conclusion The intraoperative administration of subconjunctival bevacizumab, IFN alpha-2b, and MMC as adjuvants is equally effective at reducing the rate of pterygium recurrence following excision. No significant difference was found in postoperative complications between these three adjuvants.