AIM: To investigate the efficacy and safety of combined phacoemulsification and goniosynechialysis with or without endoscopic cyclophotocoagulation (PGE group and PG group) for the treatment of patients with coexisting primary angle-closure glaucoma (PACG) and cataracts. METHODS: The clinical data of patients with PACG and cataract were retrospectively reviewed. There was a total of 88 eyes in the study and were divided into two groups, 42 eyes in PGE group and 46 eyes in PG group. Surgery success cumulative survival, preoperative and postoperative intraocular pressure (IOP), number of IOP-lowering medications, best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) in the two groups were observed for more than 12mo and compared within each group and between two groups. RESULTS: The mean IOP in PGE group declined from 24.9 mm Hg preoperatively to 14.1 mm Hg at the first month after operation (P<0.001) and at the last visit 16.2 mm Hg (P<0.001). Meanwhile PG group also showed significant decrease, from 24.1 mm Hg preoperatively to 13.0 mm Hg at 1mo after operation (P<0.001) and 15.3 mm Hg at the last visit (P=0.004). The mean medications reliance reduced in both groups, in PGE group was reduced from 1.62 preoperatively to 0.13 at the last visit (P<0.001), in PG group from 0.87 to 0.10 (P<0.001). At the last visit, BCVA increased from 0.21 to 0.60 in PGE group (P<0.001) and from 0.24 to 0.67 in PG group (P<0.001). The success rate of PGE group at 1mo was 95.2%, then decreased to 70.7% at the last visit, whereas in PG group, the success rate at 1mo was 100%, at the last visit was 73.4%. CONCLUSION: PGE shows promise for PACG patients with cataracts to reduce IOP, lighten the medication burden and improve visual acuity, and PG still has its value in specific patients.