AIM:To study the ultrastructure of comeas preserved by long-term cryopreservation with improved glycerol and to study the lamellar keratoplasty.METHODS:The corneas coated with sodium hyaluro-nate were long-term preserved in -45 ℃ glycerol. After 1 year,15 cases accepted lamellar keratoplasty with the long-term preserved cornea,and the cornea taken trans-mission electron microscopy(TEM) examination. RESULTS:All surgeries were successful,and patients were followed up for 6 to 24 months. 13 grafts were transparent,1 graft was translucent,and 1 graft was neovascularization. TEM examination showed that the ultrastructure of cornea was well-preserved. CONCLUSION:The improved long-term cryopreserva-tion with glycerol could preserve some viability of cornea. It is a proper way of preservation that could be used for lamellar keratoplasty in clinic when there is no fresh corneas.