A rare spinal cancer was removed through the eye in a world-first.

At the University of Maryland Medical Center, surgeons successfully removed a rare spinal tumor from 19-year-old Karla Flores by accessing it through her eye socket. The aggressive chordoma, located near her upper spine and pressing on her spinal cord, posed risks of paralysis or severe nerve damage with conventional surgery.

Led by neurosurgeon Dr. Mohamed A.M. Labib, the team used a groundbreaking transorbital approach, navigating behind the eye with a neuro-endoscope and fine instruments to remove the tumor without visible scars or large incisions.

Dubbed the “third nostril” technique, it was refined through extensive cadaver practice and collaboration across neurosurgery, ENT, craniofacial, and oncology specialties.

Flores, now 20, is cancer-free, regaining strength after radiation and spinal fusion, with no neurological damage. This innovative method signals a new era of minimally invasive neurosurgery, potentially transforming treatment for previously inoperable tumors by utilizing natural skull openings.

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