Doctors in the United States have achieved a groundbreaking milestone in neurosurgery by performing the first-ever operation to remove a spinal tumor through a patient’s eye socket. The innovative procedure took place at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York and involved a multidisciplinary team consisting of a neurosurgeon, an otolaryngologist, and an ophthalmologist. They jointly employed a minimally invasive approach that allowed them to reach the cervical spine without cutting through the neck or the back of the head, reports the Baltimore Chronicle with reference to The Washington Post.
The patient was a 25-year-old woman diagnosed with a chordoma — a rare type of tumor that affects bone structures. Her tumor was located at the base of the skull and extended into the upper cervical spine, which typically makes surgical access highly risky with conventional methods.
To bypass these complications, the surgical team inserted specialized instruments through her left eye socket, utilizing natural anatomical pathways and thereby avoiding trauma to the brain, optic nerves, and spinal cord. One of the surgeons described the operation as a real breakthrough in treating otherwise inoperable tumors.
Although procedures through the nose or mouth have been performed in the past, this was the first time in medical history that a spinal tumor was accessed and removed through the eye socket. The surgery lasted more than nine hours. The patient has already undergone a successful postoperative recovery and is now in rehabilitation. According to preliminary evaluations, her vision, mobility, and overall condition remain unaffected.
Doctors believe this technique could transform how similar cases are treated in the future. The operation also highlights the value of a multidisciplinary approach and technological innovation in modern surgery, showing that it is possible to save lives without causing severe disruption to critical brain and spinal structures.
Earlier we wrote that first alcoholism treatment chip implanted in China.