World's first laser treatment to remove pterygium for patients

Businessmen suffering from eye disease for 30 years, often experience redness in eyes, and growth of pterygium, resulting in him not having eye contact with others when speaking, until last year after undergoing the laser surgery to solve the problem, at the same time being the world's first person who had the laser surgery to remove pteryium.

Tan Beng Wee, 61 years old, often experience redness and discomfort, and an abnormal growth in both of his eyes over the past 30 years.

He told The Straits Times when he was interviewed, after consulting doctors in 2014, he was diagnosed with pterygium, if he did not seek medical attention in time, he could cause astigmatism and blurred vision.

Pterygium affects 15.5% of people locally, pterygium is a chronic benign lesion of the eye, usually grows in the corner of the eye, occasionally appear outside the corner. Ultraviolet radiation is one of the main causes.

Through the Singapore National Eye Center, Tan Beng Wee underwent the laser surgery (Femtosecond Laser-assisted Pterygium Surgery, referred to as Flaps) to remove the pterygium in the eyes, in July. He is also the world's first patient to accept the operation.

Since Tan Beng Wee, the National Eye Center also conducted 35 of the same surgery.

National Eye Center Associate Professor Jodhbir Mehta said, Flaps surgery using the laser technology, in the cut conjunctiva, it will not leave scars, compared to the existing surgery - conjunctival transplantation (Conjunctival Autograft, referred to as CAG ), it is much safer.

He explained that this is because CAG transplantation is very particular about the doctor's surgical skills, and the need to cut the cut the better, otherwise the probability of the patient suffering a relapse of pterygium will increase.

However, Flaps surgery is relatively expensive, $200 to $300 more than ordinary eye conjunctival surgery.