Corneal Transplants
"Dr. Pepose gave my baby Caitlin the moon, the stars, and more. Thank you, Dr. Pepose." -- Monica Kuehling



Caitlin Kuehling as a baby...
...And as a young lady

Little Caitlin Kuehling was born with a condition called Peter's Anomaly -  in which the corneas are cloudy and the iris is misshapen. Essentially, she was functionally blind. Dr. Pepose knew that of the 40,000 cornea transplant operations in the country at the time, only 300 had been performed on babies. It was a risky procedure for an eye so small. But Caitlin's mother Monica just wanted for her baby what other children had: To see the moon and the stars and more. It's been more than 16 years since her operation, and that's just what "Baby" Caitlin can now see. The moon. The stars. And all the beauty the world has to offer.

The Doctors at Pepose Vision Institute have the best track record of protecting and restoring our patients' functional vision of any cornea specialist in the St. Louis area.  This translates into:  
  • Faster visual recovery: little to no discomfort
  • Less need for repeat surgery to achieve best vision result possible
  • Minimized risk of complications and transplant rejection that can compromise your sight 
  • Patients who are relieved that they have been given back the greatest amount of functional vision possible in their treated eye
How do we do it?  
  • Experience
    • Because cornea surgery outcomes improve dramatically if the surgeon is cornea subspecialty trained, it's important to know that only cornea subspecialists at Pepose Vision Institute will perform your cornea procedure.  Dr. Jay Pepose was recruited to Washington University/Barnes Hospital almost two decades ago because of his skill, training and experience in treating cornea-related injuries and disease
  • Testing
    • Each cornea patient undergoes an intensive state-of-the-art testing process, directly supervised by our cornea subspecialty trained surgeons who then create a precise, personalized treatment plan
  • Technology
    • PVI uses numerous diagnostic devices to confirm each test result
    • We collaborate with eye technology industry leaders on "next generation" cornea diagnostics and treatments
    • We offer alternative surgical approaches when it comes to healing or replacing a cornea, choosing the right procedure based on each patient's particular medical needs 
    • Dr. Jay Pepose is a leader, both locally and nationally, in corneal tissue procurement and evaluation, relying on state-of-the-art technologies to make sure that the donor tissue he uses is safe and reduces risk of rejection
  • Lifetime Commitment 
    • Our surgeons vigilantly monitor the status of your eyes for the rest of your life to ensure that your vision continues to be its best, years AFTER your cornea surgery.  
While no one can promise perfect vision, the Pepose Vision Institute is dedicated to doing everything it can to assure patients lifelong quality vision.

"We're dedicated to protecting, preserving, and enhancing our patients' vision." -- Dr. Jay Pepose