Deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty (DALK) is a new keratoplasty technique,which transplants a partial thickness donor cornea bared of its Descemet's membrane and endothelium onto a recipient bed after full removal of recipient stromal tissue,in order to provide similar visual outcome with penetrating keratoplasty as well as to decrease intraoperative and postoperative complications.This surgical procedure is technically challenging and the critical step is to bare Descemet's membrane.The ways to bare Descemet's membrane have experienced direct open dissection,intrastromal air injection dissection,hydrodelamination dissection,viscoelastic dissection,big bubble technique,etc..These techniques are being constantly improved to perfect.The advantage of DALK is that it relatively preserves both structural and immunological integrity of the eye,thus decreasing the risk of endothelial graft rejection,chronic corneal allograft dysfunction and traumatic wound dehiscence.This review focuses on the indications,different techniques and complications of DALK,aiming at providing ways to promote its technological improvement and widely clinical application.