08/06/2025
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A rare spinal tumor was just removed through an eye socket in a world-first surgery.
In a groundbreaking procedure, surgeons at the University of Maryland Medical Center have successfully removed a rare spinal tumor – by entering through a patient’s eye socket.
It’s the first time this surgical route has ever been used to reach the spine.
The patient, 19-year-old Karla Flores, had an aggressive chordoma tumor wrapped around her cervical spine and compressing her spinal cord. Traditional surgical approaches carried extreme risks – including paralysis or damage to major blood vessels.
So the team, led by neurosurgeon Dr. Mohamed A.M. Labib, pioneered a bold alternative: a “transorbital” approach through the eye socket. This innovative corridor allowed access to the tumor without cutting through the neck or skull – and with no visible scarring.
Using the eye socket as a natural corridor – described by the team as a “third nostril” – surgeons inserted a neuro-endoscope and precision tools behind the eye, navigating deep into the skull base to access and remove the tumor. The technique was refined over months of cadaver-based training and required collaboration between neurosurgery, ENT, craniofacial, and oncology specialists.
The result? A complete tumor removal, preserved neurological function, and a cancer-free outcome. Flores, now 20, is recovering well after follow-up radiation and spinal fusion surgery.
This marks a major leap in minimally invasive neurosurgery and a glimpse into the future of surgical innovation.
Learn more: "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
