10/30/2025
In a medical breakthrough, a team of neurosurgeons at Johns Hopkins Medicine performed a first-of-its-kind surgery by removing a spinal tumor through a patient's eye socket, avoiding the need for traditional invasive skull or neck surgery.
The tumor was located on the top of the spine, at the base of the skull, an area that is extremely difficult to access with conventional techniques due to the surrounding critical brain and spinal structures.
To perform this minimally invasive procedure, the surgical team used a transorbital neuroendoscopic approach (TONA). This involves making a small incision near the eye and using specialized endoscopic instruments to reach deep areas of the skull base.
The team was able to safely remove the tumor without damaging the optic nerve, brainstem, or critical arteries, which would be at greater risk with open surgery. This method drastically reduces recovery time, risk of infection, and cosmetic impact, as it avoids opening the skull or neck.
The patient reportedly made a full recovery, and this approach is now being explored as a potential alternative for treating other hard-to-reach cranial and spinal tumors.
This marks a paradigm shift in skull base neurosurgery, especially for lesions in the craniocervical junction, a zone that's extremely challenging to access due to its deep location.
