Featured Expert:
Neurosurgeon Risheng Xu recaps the case of an active patient in her mid-70s who presented to the Wilmer Eye Institute with acute vision changes in her right eye following elective cataract surgery. A thorough evaluation revealed a large sphenoid wing meningioma enveloping and compressing the optic nerve behind her right eye.
The patient was referred to Dr. Xu, who recommended microsurgical resection of the tumor. He removed approximately 90% of the tumor during a long and delicate procedure. What remains of the tumor is attached to the optic nerve and removing it could put the patient’s vision at risk. Because of its slow-growing nature, it is not anticipated to impact the patient’s vision in the near future. The patient woke up from the surgery with improved vision and, one-year post-procedure, her vision is at baseline and she is planning cataract surgery for her other eye.