Doctors were preparing to remove her tumor — but an accidental MRI revealed the truth and saved her life

It all started when the woman had a double vision as an 18-year-old and decided to seek help.

PUBLISHED 6 HOURS AGO

(L) A woman lying on a hospital bed. (R) A medical personnel studying an MRI Scan. Representative Cover Image Source: Getty Images | Morsa Images; TEK Image

Advances in medicine and surgery can be life-changing for people. The same thing happened with a woman who was diagnosed with a second tumor because of a misplaced MRI. It all started when the woman, Karla Flores, started experiencing double vision as an 18-year-old. She felt that something was off and visited an ophthalmologist, who referred her to a neurosurgeon. Flores was 19 years old when she was diagnosed with a chordoma wrapped around her brain stem, per CBS News.

A doctor examining a brain scan. Representative Image Source: Getty Images | Tom Werner

The type of cancer Flores was diagnosed with is incredibly rare and affects around 300 people in a year out of the 330 million people in the US, according to the Cleveland Clinic. These tumors are malignant and slow-growing. The tumor was putting pressure on Flores's multiple cranial nerves, according to Dr. Mohamed Labib, a neurosurgeon who led the woman's treatment. The doctor designed a complex surgical procedure that involved two surgeries to remove the tumor without causing any damage to the delicate nerves in the region. Flores went through an MRI before her surgery and the technician placed the camera a little lower than they were supposed to. It helped the doctors realize that she had a second tumor at the top of her spine and it had invaded her vertebrae.

An MRI machine. Representative Image Source: Getty Images | Comezora

"They told me if they hadn't seen it, I could have been paralyzed," Flores recounted. Even after the discovery, Dr. Labib decided to go ahead with the scheduled surgery and remove Flores's first tumor through traditional neurosurgery. He also studied the location of the woman's second tumor and concluded that making an incision in the spine and approaching the tumor from the back was not an option in her case because of the location of the tumor. Going in through the nose, like in a traditional surgery, wouldn't give the doctor enough space to operate. "I spoke to colleagues and one of them said, 'You're not gonna cure her from this,' basically, maybe she should be more of a palliative care patient."

Doctors performing surgery inside an operating room. Representative Image Source: Getty Images | skaman306

"I wasn't very enthusiastic about that," Dr. Labib expressed. He studied the location more carefully and developed an all-new approach called the "third nostril" approach to get to the tumor. He would go in through the nostril and the side of the woman's eye. He had used the procedure before, but not for removing a spinal tumor. He then spent several weeks in the laboratory practicing on cadavers and skull models to see the points where there could be a difficulty and how he could improve the process. The team also developed special tools to make the process possible. They had to ensure that they didn't damage Flores's eyeball.

A male doctor talking to a female patient. Representative Image Source: Getty Images | Momo Productions

He shared the approach with the family once he was confident. "Her mother cried. Karla was emotional. Her father, he's not an emotional guy, but you could see from his silence he was concerned," Dr. Labib shared. But Flores said that she trusted the doctor and approved the surgery. "I was scared I wasn't going to see my parents again because you never know what's going to happen when you go inside the surgery." The doctors were able to perform the surgery successfully and without leaving any external scars. A spinal surgeon stabilized her vertebrae and she received radiation therapy six weeks later. There were no signs of cancer in her body after that.

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Her scan had no evidence of cancer a year later as well. She is in rehabilitative therapy as she couldn't move one of her eyeballs because of nerve damage from chordoma. Flores hopes to get into school to become a manicurist and has follow-up appointments at the hospital every few months. She owes about $600,000 because of the procedures, so a GoFundMe was started for her. It has been able to collect around $19,230. "I keep reminding myself to take one day at a time and know that each step is an accomplishment. I'm also glad I stood my ground and kept looking for help until I found it," Flores remarked. "I think this opens a new corridor for approaching tumors that are in the upper cervical (or high part of the) spine," Dr. Labib pointed out.