Indian-American Army surgeon Major Jagatkumar Patel helped develop a minimally invasive surgical technique that enables doctors to remove certain brain tumors through the nose, eliminating the need to open the skull and significantly improving patient recovery, according to the US Department of Defense.
Patel collaborated with Lt. Col. Charles Miller, an Army neurosurgeon, to pioneer the procedure for tumors located at the base of the skull. Traditionally, such tumors required complex open brain surgery, but Patel said patients with tumors of the appropriate size and location can now avoid those invasive procedures.
According to Patel, accessing the tumor through the nasal passage provides surgeons with the most direct route, increasing the likelihood of complete tumor removal while reducing trauma to surrounding tissue.
The technique was successfully demonstrated on Marine Staff Sergeant Andy Archer, who had experienced severe headaches for 15 years before developing vision problems. An MRI scan revealed a 4.4-centimetre, golf-ball-sized tumor pressing against his optic nerve near the pituitary gland. The surgery was performed at the Walter Reed Army National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland.
During the operation, Patel carefully mapped a pathway through the patient’s complex nasal anatomy and used an endoscopic camera to provide Miller with a high-definition view of the tumor. Miller then safely dissected and removed the growth. Patel described the operation as “a true team effort,” crediting his colleague’s expertise in completing the tumor removal.
The patient’s recovery highlighted the benefits of the new approach. Just two days after surgery, Archer was sitting up in intensive care with no visible signs of major brain surgery, and his vision had already begun to improve.
