AIM:To observe the preventive effect of lens on corneal endothelium during vitreoretinal surgeries.METHODS:Totally 32 patients(32 eyes)underwent vitrectomy,part of the lens(18 cases)were retained,part of the lens were not retained(14 cases).Pictures of corneal endothelium were taken with specular microscopy before operation and within two weeks after operation.Morphological changes of the cells were observed directly,and the cells’ four parameters were analyzed by statistics.RESULTS:The changes of abnormal morphology of cells were more obvious in the postoperative aphakia.Comparing the cells’ four parameters with preoperation,there were no statistically significant differences in the postoperative phakia(P>0.05).There were statistically significant differences in the postoperative aphakia(P<0.05).CONCLUSION:In vitrectomy,the barrier function of lens can reduce the damage of various factors on corneal endothelial cells,retained lens play a protective effect on the corneal endothelial cells.