US doctors remove spinal tumour through eye socket in world-first surgery

In a medical first, US surgeons removed a spinal tumour through a patient's eye socket, a procedure that is being seen as a new hope for treating complex, hard-to-reach tumours with less risk

Imagine being told you have a rare spinal tumour and the only way to remove it safely is through your eye socket. Sounds like something out of a horror sci-fi movie, right? But for 19-year-old Karla Flores, a budding manicurist from Maryland, United States, this bold and life-changing surgery became a reality, and a medical first.

 

According to a report by The Washington Post, Karla had been struggling with blurred and double vision since 2023, which she first noticed while learning to drive. A scan revealed a rare cancerous tumour, known as chordoma, pressing against her left eye.

 

To make matters worse, doctors found another tumour near the top of her spine. If it wasn’t removed, it could eventually leave her paralysed.

Why conventional surgery wasn’t an option

Flores was referred to Dr Mohamed AM Labib at the University of Maryland Medical Centre, who along with his team devised a radical approach: reaching the tumour through the lower eye socket, a route the surgeon had previously only proposed in medical literature.

 

Normally, surgeons would try to reach spinal tumours through the neck, mouth, or even the nose. But in Karla’s case, those options were too dangerous—too much risk of infection or damage. 

Inside the 19-hour surgery through the eye socket

Working alongside Dr Kalpesh Vakharia, a facial reconstructive surgeon, Dr Labib and the team spent months planning. They practised on cadavers, mapped out every move, and on May 1, 2024, they took the leap.

 

The surgery lasted 19 hours. Using high-precision tools and an endoscope, they carefully navigated through Karla’s eye socket and successfully removed the tumour from her spine, all while avoiding vital nerves and blood vessels. A few millimetres off, and the result could’ve been paralysis or even death.

Post-surgery recovery and ongoing treatment

The good news is that the surgery was successful and Karla is now recovering, undergoing physical therapy, and continuing proton radiation to make sure the tumour doesn’t return. Her latest scans are clear, and her doctors are optimistic.

A new frontier in spinal and brain tumour surgery

This surgery matters because by using the eye socket as a surgical gateway, doctors now have a new route to access parts of the brain and spine with less risk and better precision. The success of Karla’s surgery could redefine how surgeons approach hard-to-reach tumours, especially those that were once considered inoperable.  For more health updates and wellness insights, follow #HealthWithBS