Rare spinal cancer tumor removed through patient’s eye at university hospital

A young Maryland pistillate is "relieved and recovering" aft doctors performed a caller country to region her perchance deadly cancerous tumors.

A surgical squad astatine the University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC) extracted the tumors, which had wrapped astir the spinal cord, done the patient’s oculus socket.

This was the archetypal clip surgeons removed a spinal tumor utilizing a "transorbital" approach, according to a UMMC property release.

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Karla Flores was conscionable 19 erstwhile she was diagnosed with a chordoma, which is simply a developmental bony tumor, successful her spine. 

At 18, Flores started experiencing treble vision, yet starring to her diagnosis months later. 

Karla Flores, taken successful March 2025. Her look is perfectly scarless aft each her surgeries. (Karla Flores)

Chordomas are precise rare, with lone astir 300 cases occurring successful the U.S. each year.

"The tumor was wrapped astir the patient’s spine and spinal cord and had invaded the vertebrae successful her neck, conscionable beneath the basal of the skull," according to Mohamed Labib, M.D., neurosurgeon astatine the University of Maryland Medical Center and adjunct prof of neurosurgery astatine the University of Maryland School of Medicine.

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"The superior risks were injuring the brainstem, spinal cord oregon large humor vessels with the drill oregon the good instruments we utilized — immoderate of these injuries could person resulted successful paralysis oregon adjacent death," Labib told Fox News Digital. 

"But without surgery, the chordoma could person continued to turn and enactment aggravated unit connected the spinal cord. This, too, would person paralyzed her arms and legs and yet killed her. So, you tin spot however the stakes were precise precocious with this procedure."

From near to right, Dr. Kalpesh Vakharia, Dr. Mohamed Labib and Dr. Andrea Hebert of the University of Maryland Medical Center. (University of Maryland Medical Center)

The surgeons created a "huge surgical corridor" done the oculus socket that enabled them to get successful beforehand of the spinal cord. 

"It was a consecutive shot," Labib said.

"By going done the bottommost of the oculus socket, we were capable to region a tumor that different would person been precise hard and precise risky to address."

"Learning astir the spinal and encephalon tumors was terrifying, but I americium truthful grateful the doctors were capable to region them."

During the procedure, Labib worked with a facial integrative and reconstructive surgeon, Kalpesh T. Vakharia, M.D., who "carefully chopped done the conjunctiva, the transparent membrane protecting the eye, wrong the little eyelid without disturbing the eye." 

To make the pathway to the spine, Vakharia removed the bottommost of Flores’ oculus socket and a information of her cheekbone, the merchandise stated. 

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"We wanted to make a surgical program wherever determination would beryllium nary outer scars and it would beryllium intolerable to archer that the diligent adjacent had surgery," said Vakharia. 

After Labib removed the tumor, Vakharia rebuilt the bottommost of the oculus socket utilizing a titanium sheet and rebuilt the feature with bony from the patient’s hip, the merchandise detailed. 

This is an illustration of the patient's 2 spinal tumors.  (University of Maryland Medical Center)

"It was astonishing to person had the accidental to beryllium portion of country that had ne'er been done before," Vakharia added.

This attack besides prevented immoderate harm to the eustachian tube, large humor vessels specified arsenic the jugular vein and interior carotid artery, and nerves that power swallowing and speech, Labib noted.

Prior to Flores’ surgery, Labib had the accidental to signifier the transorbital process connected cadavers "many, galore times."

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"The information that radical are consenting to donate their bodies to subject enabled america to bash this and saved the beingness of this young woman," helium said.

Flores besides had a ample tumor astir her encephalon stem, which was removed done 2 abstracted procedures via her skull and nose, the merchandise stated.

An illustration of the transorbital way to the patient's tumors. (Tina Wang/University of Maryland Medical Center)

The spinal tumors could person been life-threatening if they had grown to the constituent wherever they caused important encephalon stem compression, according to Andrea M. Hebert, MD, a UMCC caput and cervix surgeon who performed the endonasal process and took portion successful the transorbital surgery.  

"Many of these tumors recur, and that’s wherefore we favour a multidisciplinary attack to treatment," said Hebert successful the release.

Flores has besides undergone radiation therapy to destruct immoderate remaining crab cells.

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"Karla is doing truly good — she’s recovered from country and radiation and is acceptable to get backmost to enactment and school," Labib shared with Fox News Digital. 

"She’s an incredibly brave young pistillate who has faced much than astir her age. I expect that aforesaid spot of tone volition transportation her into a promising future."

"Learning astir the spinal and encephalon tumors was terrifying, but I americium truthful grateful the doctors were capable to region them."

Flores does person immoderate nervus harm owed to the tumor’s proximity to the encephalon stem, which has caused immoderate issues with question of her near eye. 

"Learning astir the spinal and encephalon tumors was terrifying, but I americium truthful grateful the doctors were capable to region them," said Flores, who plans to spell to schoolhouse to go a manicurist. 

Karla Flores is pictured connected the left, positive the squad of doctors that handled the procedure.  (Karla Flores; University of Maryland Medical Center)

"I’m dilatory recovering and with immoderate occupation I have, they assistance me," she continued.

"I support reminding myself to instrumentality 1 time astatine a clip and cognize that each measurement is an accomplishment." 

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Flores present plans to spell to schoolhouse to go a manicurist. 

Looking ahead, UMMC’s squad plans to show the transorbital process this autumn to neurosurgeons from astir the world, astatine their yearly Skull Base country course.

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"When you person specified a broadened corridor to scope these tumors, you tin wholly region them, which greatly reduces recurrence of the cancer," Labib told Fox News Digital.

"We besides person different patients who volition beryllium receiving akin surgeries successful the adjacent future."