Nurse in Leeds performs first keyhole surgery to remove head tumor
PA Media Ruvimbo Kaviya - A woman in her late 40s with braids and a cream top. She puts her hand under her chin and looks into the camera.public media

Ruvimbo Kaviya unable to eat due to pain caused by tumor

A nurse has become the first person in the UK to undergo keyhole surgery to remove a tumor through the eye socket.

Ruvimbo Kaviya, 40, from Leeds, had the meningioma removed from the space beneath her brain and behind her eye.

Many of these tumors were previously considered inoperable because of their location in the cavernous sinus region.

Experts from Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust conducted multiple surgical rehearsals using 3D technology before Ms Kaviya's surgery.

Previously, surgery to remove a tumor from the same part of the head required complex brain surgery that involved removing a large portion of the skull and carried the risk of complications.

Ms Kavya said the tumor gave her headaches that "feel like electric shocks to the face", meaning she was sometimes unable to eat or brush her teeth.

The mother-of-three said: “It’s very stressful and very difficult.

“So when they tell me they’re going to have surgery, they can’t say it’s going to be perfect, and there are risks.

"It was the first time they had done this surgery. I didn't choose to consent because it was too painful - it didn't even occur to me that it was the first time and all I needed was to have it removed."

PA Media Ruvimbo Kaviya stands with the team who performed her surgery. To her right is a man with a gray beard wearing a gray blazer and a blue and white plaid shirt. To her left is a woman with long blond hair and a black sweater. To her left is a man with a black beard, glasses, and a light pink shirt. They all smile for the camera.public media

The operation, carried out by a team at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, is the first of its kind in the UK

The operation, carried out in February last year, took just three hours and Ms Kavya was up and walking later that day.

Neurosurgeon Asim Sheikh said advances in technology meant tumors like Ms Kavya's were now less risky to treat.

He said: "This is a hard-to-reach area and this can be accessed directly without affecting the pressure on the brain.

"So it's just getting to areas that we once thought were inoperable but are now accessible."

PA Media A woman with long blond hair and a black jumper pointed at a model of Ms Kavya's skull on a computer screen. Ms. Kavya sat next to her, looking thoughtful.public media

3D replica of Ms Kavya's skull helps surgeons practice surgeries ahead of time

Biomedical engineer Lisa Ferrie, head of 3D planning services at the trust, made a model of the patient's skull so the surgical team could rehearse before the operation.

She said: "This technology allowed the team to study her anatomy in detail and prepare her for surgery with unparalleled accuracy.

"Seeing this model and knowing its contribution to this groundbreaking surgery is incredibly rewarding."

Ms Kavya was left with a tiny scar near her left eye but was back at work caring for stroke patients three months after the surgery.

She said: “When I had the surgery I thought I might be in hospital for a few weeks or months and I would be home after a few days.

“I had double vision for about three months but was otherwise fine.”

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