A 61-year-old grandfather has become the first person in the UK to undergo brain aneurysm surgery through his eye socket, avoiding the need for a traditional craniotomy. Andrew Wood, a builder from Leeds, had the landmark procedure in February after an aneurysm was discovered during scans for an unrelated health issue.
Surgeons at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust made a tiny incision at the side of Mr Wood's eye and a cut on the outer wall of the eye socket to access the aneurysm. Consultant neurosurgeon Asim Sheikh said the approach meant doctors could reach the aneurysm without touching the brain.
Mr Wood spent just one night in hospital, compared to the typical week-long stay after a craniotomy. He was back at work on a building site in May, weeks after the operation. “I was shocked. I didn’t have any symptoms whatsoever,” he said of the diagnosis.
The team used a custom 3D printed replica of Mr Wood's eye socket and skull base, along with the aneurysm itself, to plan and practise the procedure. Consultant maxillofacial surgeon Jiten Parmar worked alongside Mr Sheikh to tailor the operation to Mr Wood's unique anatomy.
Mr Sheikh described the operation as a “significant step forward in minimally invasive brain surgery in the UK”. The same team performed a UK-first removal of a brain tumour through a patient's eye socket in 2024.
