To enter the body’s most forbidding terrain by the shortest, safest route is a challenge few attempt.
Dr Labib chose to write a new chapter in neurosurgery: a first-of-its-kind operation reaching the skull base and upper spine through the eye.
The case has become a touchstone among surgeons worldwide. His colleagues describe him as “the mind who opened new pathways to the brain.”
In this interview, Dr Labib, professor of Neurosurgery at the University of Maryland, explained how “slow miracles” are forged at the intersection of science and compassion.
He also shed light on the future of neurosurgery, sending a message of hope for the next generation.
Ahram Online: Your credentials and training come from Canada and the United States. Does that mean you grew up far from Egypt?
Dr Mohamed Labib: I am proud of my roots. My father was an obstetrician from Kafr Abed in Qalyubia, and my mother, from Ismailia, was an English teacher. After their marriage, they began working in the UAE, where my siblings and I were born. We lived there until I was 17; then, we moved to Canada.
I studied medicine at McGill University, trained in neurosurgery at Western University (Ontario), and later at Barrow Neurological Institute in Arizona.
Though educated abroad, my fascination with surgery was first sparked by an Egyptian physician, and many Egyptian neurosurgeons shaped my path.
AO: You spent more than 30 years abroad. How did you maintain your Egyptian identity?
ML: During our years in the UAE, my father ensured that we spent every summer in Ismailia.
After moving to Canada, studies consumed us, but my parents raised us with Egyptian traditions and values. My mother insisted on Arabic at home and always cooked mahshi and molokhiya, making our home feel like Egypt.
AO: How did it feel to return recently after so long away?
ML: I regret the long absence, but that feeling turned to joy when I returned with my wife and children last May.
The moment that touched me most was when my seven-year-old son, Hamza, said, “You can all fly back—leave me in Egypt.” That pure belonging strengthened my resolve to spend more time here.
AO: You recently operated on two children at Al-Azhar University. Could you tell us about those cases?
ML: I was in Egypt for a conference when I was told of two children with brain tumours.
The first child had lost his vision; we removed much of the tumour, and his condition improved. The second suffered from severe facial pain. Some advised waiting, but I could not leave him in such agony. I postponed other commitments and operated the next day. Both children improved, by God’s grace.
AO: If Egypt has such talent, what is needed to reach the scientific level of Europe and the US?
ML: Egypt has remarkable talent and can perform complex surgeries with results comparable to the West. However, we need better-equipped laboratories for anatomical training and cadaver dissection. These are essential for mastering modern skull-base techniques.
AO: Why are such labs so important?
ML: They allow surgeons to practise difficult techniques safely before applying them to patients. At Maryland, I only accepted my faculty role on the condition that a fully equipped simulation lab would be built.
AO: What was the turning point in your journey as a surgeon?
ML: During my first year at McGill, I watched a brain surgery video and felt an irresistible pull. Soon after, I assisted in my first operation to remove a brain tumour. That experience was transformative and cemented my love for neurosurgery.
AO: Why did you not continue practising in Canada?
ML: At the time, Canadian-trained neurosurgeons were not allowed to practise in the US. I completed two residencies, totalling six years in Canada and another six in the US.
It was tough, but it opened doors to major centres, including the skull-base programme at UTMB Galveston.
AO: What makes that centre special?
ML: Its facilities, advanced microscopes, cadaver labs, and continuous research. Surgeons from all over the world train there in complex approaches.
AO: Can you identify a tumour type from imaging before pathology results?
ML: With experience, yes. High-quality MRI often allows a confident diagnosis before surgery.
AO: How do you handle life-or-death surgical decisions?
ML: Sometimes we decline surgery if it would not change the outcome, but in many primary brain cancers, we can achieve long survival and sometimes even a cure. Success requires accurate diagnosis, careful planning, and a capable operating team.
AO: Karla’s trans-orbital surgery, reaching the skull base through the eye, was described as a medical first. What was her condition?
ML: Karla, 19, had multiple tumours. After removing two with standard methods, a small lesion remained at the front of her spinal cord. I designed a route through the eyelid using robotics and endoscopes. An oculoplastic surgeon was vital to the team. Repeated simulations confirmed it was safe.
AO: Did you feel you were pushing the limits?
ML: At first, colleagues thought the idea was crazy, but after rehearsals, they were convinced.
AO: Did you discuss the procedure with the patient and her family?
ML: Karla translated for her parents. They wept when they understood. I reassured her that one day she would return to swimming.
AO: How did the medical and media communities respond?
ML: At first, with disbelief, but once the results were clear, ENT surgeons began testing adaptations. Media attention followed, including coverage in The Washington Post.
AO: You pioneered the “Skull Base 360°” concept. How does the trans-orbital approach fit into it?
ML: It completes the circle, providing a safe, direct route with minimal impact on surrounding tissue, complementing other techniques.
AO: After your recent visits to Egypt, do you see the possibility of establishing a centre like Sir Magdi Yacoub’s?
ML: Yes. I dream of a fully integrated centre in Egypt that trains surgeons and treats the most challenging cases.
AO: What message would you give to young Egyptian doctors?
ML: Persevere. Stay passionate about learning. Welcome innovation. Above all, never forget that compassion is at the heart of medicine.
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