Surface of the eye
The fleshy patch creeping across the white of your eye
Years of sun, wind and dust thicken a wedge of tissue near the nose side of the eye. It looks alarming. Most of the time it is harmless.
35 sec“Mostly cosmetic, mostly not urgent.”
Anterior segment surgeon
What the doctor says
“Mostly cosmetic, mostly not urgent.”
Anterior segment surgeon · Independent reviewer
- Remove it when it reaches the pupil or pulls your vision out of shape.
- It can come back, sometimes angrier than before.
- Sunglasses and lubricants handle the redness for many people.
The filmed clip is being recorded. The words above are the same points the doctor makes on camera.
Ask a doctor about my own scansTold it must be removed? Check whether it really must.
Send your scans. A senior eye doctor who will never operate on you reads them and writes a plain answer in two days.
What it does and does not do
It can look red, feel gritty and make the eye look tired. It does not turn into cancer, and it does not spread inside the eye. Trouble starts only when it creeps far enough to pull the cornea out of shape or reach the pupil.
Remove or leave alone
Surgery is usually needed
- It has reached or is close to the black centre of the eye
- It is dragging your vision out of focus on the topography map
- It limits eye movement or causes double vision
- Constant irritation that drops no longer settle
You can usually take your time
- It looks red now and then but sits well away from the pupil
- Lubricating drops and sunglasses keep you comfortable
- It has not grown at all across several years
- The only reason offered is how it looks
The part people are not told
Pterygium can grow back after removal, sometimes angrier than before. The technique used changes that risk a lot. Ask which method is planned and how often it returns in that surgeon's hands.
Cheap protection that works
- Wraparound sunglasses outdoors
- A cap in strong sun
- Lubricating drops on dusty days
Go to an eye hospital today if
- The growth suddenly enlarges over weeks
- It bleeds, ulcerates or looks pigmented and lumpy
- Vision drops along with it
Not sure if you need surgery?
Send us your scans. A senior eye doctor who will never operate on you reads them and tells you the truth in two days.