Assessment of Low-temperature Plasma Surgery System in Pterygium With Fibrin Glue and Conjunctival Autografts
Condition: Pterygium
MeSH terms: Pterygium
Study type: Observational

Summary: 
      Pterygium is a wing-shaped fibrovascular tissue that has proliferated onto the cornea.
      Ultraviolet radiation and hot, dusty, windy, dry, smoky environments are regarded as risk
      factors for pterygium . Surgical removal is the treatment of choice, and surgical wound
      intraoperative and inflammatory response postoperative have been considered two of the most
      significant factors that can increase the recurrence rate of pterygium. Low-Temperature
      Plasma Surgery System(LTP), avoids causing burn injuries to patients, has been introducing
      into minimally invasive surgery. The mechanism by which this equipment stop bleeding and
      abolish tissue is to directly occupy the injury with the formed blood clots, plasma flows
      close the vessel and plasma active particles cause physical and chemical reactions with
      tissue. The different levels of energy density of plasma can affect the bacteria, cells and
      cancer cells and even to death, therefore it is widely used in the disinfection of medical
      devices, dental root canal therapy, skin disease treatment and surgical wound disinfection.
      Whether it's possible to apply the advantages and benefits of plasma technology in ophthalmic
      surgery? Like pterygium surgery? However, there is no research to answer until now. In this
      study, the investigators retrospectively observed the efficacy, postoperative discomfort,
      inflammation, complications, and recurrence rates in a group of patients for whose LTP was
      used in pterygium excision and wound hemostasis. The investigators Observe the clinical
      benefits of LTP in pterygium surgery and find the facilitates and problems it need to be
      addressed reasonably.
    

Detailed description: 
      About Plasma It's confirmed that there are 3 physical forms of material existence in human
      living environment. They are solids, liquids and gass. And any physical form can exist in
      different states due to the influence of environmental factors. Plasma is the fourth form of
      material existence. It's composed of ionized conductive gases, including six typical
      particles, which are electron, positive ion, negative ion, atom or molecule at excited state,
      atom or molecule at ground state, and photon. Plasma is composed of those positive and
      negative charged particles and neutral particles, and is a kind of quasi-neutrality gas with
      collective behavior. It's called plasma when the total negative electric charge equals to the
      total positive electric charge. 99% visible materials in universe may exist in plasma state,
      including fixed stars. Plasma can be natural or man-made. For example, the lighting during
      rainstorms is plasma phenomena, because the high voltage difference between cloud layer and
      ground makes the air ionized. And neon light and fluorescent lamp are from man-made plasma.
      The gases in light tube are ionized into plasma state.

      About Plasma Low temperature plasma (LTP) Surgery System Low temperature plasma (LTP) Surgery
      System(made in Chengdu Mechan Electronic Technology Co.,Ltd), which avoids causing burn
      injuries to patients, has been introducing into minimally invasive surgery. The mechanism by
      which this equipment stops bleeding is to directly occupy the injury with the formed blood
      clots, and different from the mechanism of the common electrical hemostatic devices that
      cauterize the tissues around the bleeding to stem the blood flow. At the same the Plasma Low
      temperature plasma (LTP) Surgery System has a some biological effects, such as ablation of
      the organization, this ablation function is generally not penetrating, and only has effect on
      the contact surface,which can safely handle with the tissue wound and prevent the planting
      and recurrence.
    

Intervention name(s): Low-temperature Plasma Surgery System
Intervention type(s): Device
Intervention description(s): In pterygium surgery with fibrin glue(FG) and conjunctival autograft we use Low-temperature Plasma Surgery System(LTP)do the ablation of tissue and hemostasis.
Observational model: Case-Control
Time perspective: Prospective
Sampling method: Non-Probability Sample
Study population: 
        Fifty-six patients participated in the study. The LTP group consisted of 28 patients (6men)
        with a mean age±SD of 58.79±1.65 years (range, 42-75 years). The control group consisted of
        28 patients (9men) with a mean age±SD of 59.79±1.35 years (range, 41-80years). There were
        no significant differences in age, gender or eye.
      
Keywords: pterygium,Low temperature plasma