BACKGROUND: To report the 6-month clinical outcome of Descemet's stripping automated endothelial keratoplasty (DSAEK) for bullous keratopathy (BK) secondary to argon laser iridotomy (ALI), and compare the results with those of DSAEK for pseudophakic bullous keratopathy (PBK) or Fuchs' endothelial dystrophy (FED). METHODS: A total of 103 patients (54 with ALI, 28 with PBK, 21 with FED) undergoing DSAEK were retrospectively analyzed. Simultaneous cataract surgery was performed in 37 patients with ALI and 13 with FED. Preoperative ocular conditions, best spectacle-corrected visual acuity (BSCVA), spherical equivalent refraction (SE), induced astigmatism, keratometric value, endothelial cell density (ECD), and complications were determined over 6 months postoperatively. RESULTS: Mean axial length in the ALI group (21.8 ± 0.8 mm) was significantly shorter than that in the FED (P = 0.02) or PBK groups (P = 0.003). Severe corneal stromal edema (n = 6), advanced cataract (n = 10), posterior synechia (n = 3), poor mydriasis (n = 5), and Zinn zonule weakness (n = 1) were found only in the ALI group. A significant improvement was observed in postoperative BSCVA in all groups. No significant difference was observed in BSCVA, SE, induced astigmatism, keratometric value, ECD, or complications among the three groups. CONCLUSIONS: Descemet's stripping automated endothelial keratoplasty for BK secondary to ALI showed rapid postoperative visual improvement, with similar efficacy and safety to that observed in DSAEK for PBK or FED.