Glaucoma treatment pioneer honoured

Retired University of Otago professor Anthony Molteno (77) at his Signal Hill home yesterday. Photo / Gregor Richardson

A Dunedin professor who invented the first drainage device for glaucoma has been honoured at a function at the Otago Museum.

Dunedin School of Medicine research fellow Tui Bevin said 85 former students, registrars and colleagues of Prof Anthony Molteno travelled from across New Zealand and Australia to share stories at a glaucoma symposium and dinner to honour the ''delightful, colourful raconteur'' on Saturday.

''There were a lot of stories to tell,'' Mrs Bevin said.

Prof Molteno said the symposium was ''great fun and very nice''.

''It was a pleasure to see all my colleagues and the people who trained with me and we had a great time.''

Mrs Bevin said Prof Molteno earned an international reputation for his research, most notably into the effects of the Molteno implant, the first successful glaucoma drainage device and one still considered to be the ''gold standard''.

He established and directs the Otago Glaucoma Surgery Outcome Study, the world's longest ongoing follow-up study into glaucoma surgery.

It followed more than 1000 eyes with a Molteno implant, and more than 1000 eyes that had a trabeculectomy, at Dunedin Hospital since 1977 to determine their long-term outcomes.

Prof Molteno published nearly 100 articles and seven book chapters.

His work received numerous international and national honours and awards, including the American Glaucoma Society's innovator of the year award in 2015; the International Society of Glaucoma Surgery's medal for outstanding achievement in 2014; Emeritus Membership of the Glaucoma Research Society in 2011; the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists' distinguished service award in 2009; the Lion Clubs International Foundation's Melvin Jones Fellowship in 2008; he became an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the 2006 New Year's Honours; and received the Goldmann Medal from the International Glaucoma Association in 1998 for his significant contribution to the understanding and treatment of glaucoma.

Prof Molteno and his wife, Tess, have three children.