Eye care
Dr. Chaitanya Shukla
DNB, FICO · Ophthalmic Surgeon
Cataract, retina and glaucoma care in Gandhinagar — with the surgery, the lens choice and the cost explained before you decide.
4.8★570 Google reviews
Removing a pterygium — and keeping it from coming back
Removal is the straightforward half. The technique used to close the gap afterwards is what decides whether it returns.
Pterygium Removal at the hospital
A pterygium is a wedge of fleshy tissue that grows from the white of the eye onto the cornea. It is a response to years of sun, wind and dust — which makes it common in anyone who works outdoors or spends long hours on the road in Gujarat.
Small ones need nothing more than lubricants, sun protection and periodic review. Surgery becomes the answer when the growth reaches towards the pupil, distorts the cornea enough to blur vision, stays persistently red and irritated, or has grown noticeably at successive visits.
The part that matters is what happens after the tissue is removed. Simple excision alone has a high recurrence rate. Covering the bare area with a graft of the eye's own conjunctiva brings that rate down substantially, and it is the approach used here.
Cashless insurance
Send us your policy. We'll confirm what you pay.
A photo of your policy card on WhatsApp is enough. We check whether it is one we can settle cashless, what waiting period and lens sub-limit apply, and give you your actual figure before you commit to a date.
Cashless here runs through IFFCO Tokio and covers eye surgery. Other insurers are reimbursement claims, which we help you file.
What to send
- 01A photo of your policy card, front and back
- 02The treatment you have been advised
- 03Whichever hospital or doctor referred you, if any
Suitability
When removal is worth doing
- Growth encroaching towards or over the pupil
- Blurred vision from astigmatism induced by the pterygium
- Persistent redness, grittiness or irritation not settling with lubricants
- Documented growth between visits
- Contact lens wear becoming uncomfortable or impossible
- Cosmetic concern, where the eye is visibly and permanently red
The process
The procedure
Assessment
Measurement of how far the pterygium extends, and whether it is already affecting the corneal shape and your vision. This decides whether to operate now or monitor.
Removal with conjunctival autograft
About 30–45 minutesUnder local anaesthesia. The abnormal tissue is removed and the bare patch is covered with a small graft of your own conjunctiva taken from under the upper lid — the step that markedly reduces recurrence.
First week
The eye is red, watery and gritty for several days — expected, and it settles. Drops, and a review at day one and week one.
Preventing recurrence
Sunglasses with UV protection, whenever you are outdoors, permanently. The sun exposure that caused it the first time will cause it again.
Next step
Ask about pterygium
Two taps and your message is written. Dr. Chaitanya's team replies with a time — in English, ગુજરાતી, हिन्दी or मराठी.
- No form to fill in and no call centre — the message goes to the hospital.
- Ask a price or check your insurance without committing to a date.
- Answered by Dr. Chaitanya's own team, who can see your history.
Book in three taps
Tell us what it's about and we'll reply with a time.
1What is it about?
Pick what it's about and we'll write the message for you.
Questions
What people ask us
In English and ગુજરાતી, because the decision gets made in whichever one you think in.
Can a pterygium come back after surgery?
It can, which is why the closure technique matters. Removal with a conjunctival autograft has a considerably lower recurrence rate than simple excision. Consistent UV protection afterwards lowers it further.
Does a small pterygium have to be removed?
No. A small, quiet pterygium that is not growing and not affecting vision is monitored, with lubricants and sunglasses. Surgery is for growths that are advancing, blurring vision or staying inflamed.
Will my eye be red afterwards?
Yes, noticeably, for one to three weeks. That is normal healing and it fades. The eye typically looks better than it did before surgery once the redness resolves.
Results & reviews
Pterygium Removal at Eye & Skin Plus
Dr. Chaitanya Shukla holds 4.8★ across 570Google reviews. Treatment-specific patient stories for this page are being recorded with patients' written consent — see patient stories.
Related at this hospital
Ask about pterygium
Send us a message with what you have been told so far. We will tell you what the next step actually is — and what it costs.
Near Atria Mall, Sargasan Circle, Gandhinagar · Replies in English, ગુજરાતી, हिन्दी or मराठी