PNA Spotlight: Dr. Maria Peris Celda

This month the PNA Spotlight focuses on Dr. Maria Peris Celda, a Professor in Neurosurgery, Otolaryngology, and Surgical Anatomy at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.  Dr. Peris Celda earned a PhD in neurosciences and her MD from the University of Valencia in Spain.  She has done a fellowship in Microsurgical Endoscopic Anatomy at the University of Florida in Gainesville; and a Neurosurgical Skull Base Oncology fellowship at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. She also completed two residencies in neurological surgery: at the University of Valencia in Spain, and at Albany Medical Center in New York. She was kind enough to answer some questions from the PNA. Her answers follow.

Please tell us about your background.

I was born in Valencia, Spain and earned my undergraduate degree, PhD, and my medical degree there. I specialize in skull base surgery, and a great part of my practice includes treatment of pituitary adenomas.

Why did you choose pituitary medicine?

Treatment of these complex lesions (found around very delicate structures) is really challenging. It requires focus, care and attention. It’s extraordinary because each case is unique. I really enjoy performing surgeries that give the patient the best, safest standard of care.

Who were your mentors?

I have to credit Dr. Albert Rhoton at the University of Florida. He passed away 10 years ago and was one of the most influential neurosurgeons of all time. He started as staff at Mayo Clinic and then went to the University of Florida for most of his career, where I did a two-year fellowship under his guidance. Dr. Rhoton focused on teaching better ways to perform surgery through research and anatomical dissections. It is my goal to continue this research in order to find new ways to approach tumors. Better anatomical knowledge will bring safer surgeries. I also learn every day from the team approach and expertise of my great colleagues at Mayo Clinic. It is a privilege to work with them.

Please tell me more about your research.

The goal of my research is to find safer, newer ways to approach pathologies and find optimal ways to train future generations. A surgeon must know what can go wrong and be able to anticipate and prevent problems. I came to Mayo Clinic many years ago to do a specialized clinical fellowship in skull base diseases. We see a great number of these types of surgery. I have gained valuable experience that allows me to remove tumors more safely, with better patient outcomes. My research is highly applicable to clinical care. We want to find essential anatomical details that can have direct consequences for patients. The more we know about the pathology and the way these delicate anatomical structures interact with each other, the better the result will be.

What would you like people to know about your practice?

The most important thing is that we treat our patients as we would our own family members. We talk to patients about their goals and find out what’s important to them. We give skillful, specialized and unique care to each patient, based on who they are as human beings and what they want to get out of treatment.

It is very important to have a well-rounded team of specialists focused on each patient. In this highly specialized field, practitioners really need to dedicate their lives to achieve the best results. That is true for neurosurgery as well as for ENT rhinologists, endocrinologists, radiologists, and radiation oncologists. When patients need pituitary surgery, they must feel good about the treatment team. The team at Mayo has the experience necessary to safely perform complex surgeries.

What do you see as the future of your field?

Neurosurgery is becoming increasingly technologically advanced. In the future, I’m sure that neurosurgeons will increasingly use robotics to safely advance the field. There’s no question in my mind that the skills that we develop are going to be aided by technology. This will deliver even better results. However, the most important part of surgery will always be the judgment to know how far to go for each particular patient. Surgeons must know what can lay hidden behind a structure, so it is not accidentally injured during the operation. That judgment is based on knowledge and experience, not technology. Technology is a great help, but it is not the main driver of surgical excellence.

What is the extent of your involvement with the Pituitary Network Association?

My collaboration with the PNA has been a very rewarding experience.  Over the past few years, we put together seminars to raise patient awareness.  We love having direct contact with patients. PNS helps us reach a larger audience of patients. I enjoyed explaining the anatomy, and showing how things work in surgery and post-operative care. The videos are available for everyone to watch on the website. So, it has been really great to be able to answer questions from patients and impart accurate information.