AIM: To evaluate the effect of intralamellar cryolysis of cornea with amniotic membrane transplantation on painful bullous keratopathy(PBK).

METHODS: Randomly selected 156 cases(156 eyes)with PBK who underwent surgery of intralamellar cryolysis of cornea with amniotic membrane transplantation. Followed up with 2～3mo, the symptoms of eye pain, corneal epithelial blisters, foreign body sensation and postoperative complications were observed.

RESULTS: Pain symptoms disappeared in all patients, and corneal epithelial blisters disappeared in 130 cases(83.3%). All agonizing pain symptoms disappeared, but patients had occasional foreign-body sensation, occasional corneal epithelial blisters in 24 cases(15.4%). Two weeks after surgery, corneal stroma dissolved, 2 cases(1.3%)of them were cured by conjunctival flap cover.

CONCLUSION: The operation of intralamellar cryolysis of cornea with amniotic membrane transplantation can relieve the pain in 98.7% of PBK patients and simple therapy for treating PBK. Hence, it's be worth to advocate for relieve the pain of patients.