As a Cornea specialist, Dr. Michel also specializes in removing pterygium growths (Carnosidades or Surfer’s Eye) from the surface of the eye. While other surgeons have recurrence rates of 10-50%, with Dr. Michel’s excellent technique our pterygium recurrence rate is less than 1 percent. Dr. Michel uses an elegant no-stitch technique to replace the growth and prevent recurrence with normal tissue. The procedure is done under local anesthesia with minimal down-time. The procedure takes 20 minutes and most patients are able to return to work the next day. Removal of Pterygium growths is covered by most medical insurance carriers. Before and after photos of Dr. Michel’s work are below
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The following observations are from a doctor that observed Dr. Michel in surgery:
“Today I watched 2 Pterygium surgeries performed by Dr. Franz Michel. It was amazing how something so simple as UV radiation (from the sun), continuous exposure to dry, dusty environments can cause the eye conjunctiva to thicken (like callus formation on the skin). Dr. Michel told me that pterigium often occurs in Hispanic patients and those who are exposed to the environments mentioned above.
The difficult part about this disease is that it tends to grow back in 50% of the patients who choose to undergone the Conjunctival Autograft with Stitches. Moreover, it takes longer to heal and patients may experience more pain during the procedure. And because patients are not made aware of the reoccurrence, they tend to go with the cheaper surgery. Unfortunately, many come into our office with regret for choosing the cheaper procedure, in which surgeons simply remove the pterygium without doing a graft. “Although those are more affordable surgeries than my method, the recurrence rate for this type of surgery is very, very high!” Dr. Michel advised our patient. “What’s more, the recurrent pterygia are much more aggressive and extremely difficult to treat.”
So, the amazing thing I saw today was that, not only does Dr. Michel’s surgery not need any stitches, but that his modern skin grafting technique only has a 1% rate of reoccurance and there are no stitches involved! It took only about half an hour for each surgery and both the stay-at-home mom and gardener went back home happy and with little pain.”
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