Descemet stripping automated endothelial keratoplasty in a 2-year-old child

Endothelial transplantation in the form of Descemet stripping endothelial keratoplasty (DSEK) or Descemet stripping automated endothelial keratoplasty (DSAEK) has rapidly become a popular, if not the preferred, method of treating endothelial failure. Although the need to perform corneal transplantation in children with endothelial dysfunction is relatively rare, this situation does arise, and in children still in the amblyogenic age group, rapid recovery from an essentially refractive-neutral corneal procedure carries significant advantages. We describe the use of DSAEK in a 2-year-old child who exhibited irreversible corneal edema from endothelial damage secondary to complicated cataract surgery. The rapid recovery and lack of induced astigmatism from DSAEK allowed for prompt institution of amblyopia therapy.