07/08/2025
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In a groundbreaking operation that pushed the boundaries of modern medicine, surgeons at the University of Maryland Medical Center performed a world-first: removing a spinal tumor through a patient’s eye socket.
The patient, 19-year-old Karla Flores, faced a life-threatening chordoma tumor tangled around her cervical spine, dangerously close to critical nerves and blood vessels.
Traditional surgical routes posed immense risks, so Dr. Mohamed A.M. Labib and his team designed a revolutionary “transorbital” approach, carefully navigating through the eye socket to reach the tumor. This method, adapted from techniques previously used for brain surgeries and honed through detailed anatomical research, allowed them to completely remove the tumor without external scarring or damage to vital structures.
After follow-up proton radiation and spinal fusion, Karla is now cancer-free and recovering well a living example of what happens when surgical innovation, collaboration, and courage come together to rewrite what’s possible in patient care.
This world-first achievement could open new doors in minimally invasive neurosurgery and save more lives in the future.
source
"In First-of-Its-Kind Surgery, Rare Spinal Tumor Removed Through Patient’s Eye Socket at University of Maryland Medical Center" via University of Maryland Medical Center (May 06, 2025). UMMC Media Relations