AIM:To study the changes of corneal curvature after simple pterygium excision and pterygium excision with limbal stem cell transplantation. METHODS:Totally 38 patients 54 eyes with pterygium were selected.They were divided into 2 groups in random:simple pterygium excision was performed in group A(16 cases and 21 eyes),pterygium excision with limbal stem cell transplantation was performed in group B (22 cases and 33 eyes).The results of visual acuity, astigmatism and corneal curvature were tested between pre-surgery and post-surgery 10 day,pre-surgery and post-surgery 1 month,post-surgery 10 day and post- surgery 1 month in both groups. RESULTS:Naked visual acuity of post-surgery was better than that of pre-surgery.Corneal horizontal curvature on post-surgery was better than that of presurgery. Corneal vertical curvature;In group A,the corneal vertical curvature of post-surgery was higher than that of pre-surgery(P<0.05).In group B,the vertical curvature on post-surgery 10 day had no statistical difference than that of pre-surgery(P>0.05),on post-surgery 1 month which was higher than that of presurgery and post-surgery 10 days(P<0.05).Corneal mean curvature on post-surgery was better than that of pre-surgery.Astigmatism:the with-the-rule keratic astigmatism on post-surgery 10 day and on post-surgery 1 month was less than that of pre-surgery. CONCLUSION:The corneal horizontal curvature in the surgeries for pterygium can be ascended which can reduce pterygium induced refractive astigmatism.In short time after surgery,the effect of simple pterygium excision is similar to the effect of pterygium excision with limbal stem cell transplantation on corneal curvature.