Photo: Assoc Prof Rob Jacobs, Kathleeya Stang-Veldhouse, and Dr Keith Pine
Congratulations to Dr Kathleeya Stang-Veldhouse (Kat), an ophthalmologist with a specialty in oculoplastics, who completed her Master of Science thesis early this year under the supervision of Associate Professor Rob Jacobs and Dr Keith Pine. Kat’s thesis is titled “Ocular Prosthesis Dynamics & Influences : Cine-Mode MRI and Other Modalities for Assessing Prosthetic Eye Movement”.
In her research Kat used a custom “Cine-mode” MRI protocol that allowed for rapid sequence imaging of the prosthetic eye and anophthalmic socket. Anopthalmic patients (people missing one or both eyes) have important concerns about the appearance and movement of their prosthetic eye. Movements of a prosthetic eye that accompany the ordinary movements of its companion eye can be imaged using conventional videography – however, there is little formal understanding of the dynamic relationships between the ocular prosthesis and the tissues and orbital contents that are behind it. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) has the potential to allow researchers to visualise and study what is happening behind a prosthesis, and with this knowledge, adjust surgical and fitting protocols for improved outcomes.
The main goal of the study was to evaluate the utility and limitations of dynamic MRI cinematography for evaluating scleral shell/prosthetic eye fit and motility. This MRI imaging modality was validated by the study and used with participants having uniocular anophthalmia and 4 types of anophthalmic sockets: 1) non-phthiscal blind eye with scleral shell prosthesis, 2) microphthalmic blind eye with scleral shell prosthesis, 3) eviscerated eye with orbital implant and full-fitted prosthetic eye, and 4) enucleated eye with orbital implant and full-fitted prosthetic eye.
Associate Professor Rob Jacobs has a long history with Optometry at the University of Auckland, having held a number of posts including Acting Head and full Head for eight years, Clinic Director for four years, and Academic Director for two years; Rob was awarded the NZ Order of Merit for his services to optometry as a profession. Rob retired in 2022 and continues to hold an honorary associate professor position with the School of Optometry and Vision Science. Dr Keith Pine is an ocularist and an honorary lecturer in the school. He is the main author of the first textbook on clinical ocular prosthetics*, and is actively researching in this field. He lectures on ocular prosthetics as part of the contact lens programme of the Optometry degree.
* Pine KR, Sloan BH, Jacobs RJ. (2015) Clinical Ocular Prosthetics. Springer International Publishing Switzerland. 319 pages. DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-19057-0. ISBN 978-3-319-19056-3.