Ophthalmologic Procedures

The emergence of a growth on the surface of the eye may be a sign of cancer. A biopsy of the abnormal tissue can determine whether the mass is benign or harbors malignant cells. If the growth is cancerous, it must be removed surgically to avoid loss of the eye and spread of the tumor to other organs in the body.

A symblepharon is an adhesion between the surface of the eye (conjunctiva) and the lining of the eyelid. This adhesion causes severe restriction of eye movements, double vision, and moderate eye irritation. It may develop after severe inflammation or trauma to the eye. Symblepharon may also appear after surgery to remove an eyelid cancer or a pterygium.
Symblepharon surgery requires removal of the adhesion plus grafting of the surface of the eyeball with amniotic membrane or normal conjunctiva from the same eye. This is a hard condition to treat, but the surgical risks are small and the chance of improvement is very high. Some patients may require more than one operation to restore a healthy and functional ocular surface.