gt.geometric topology - An algebraic proof of Mumford's smoothness criterion for surfaces?

(Disclaimer: I'm a beginner in this area, so welcome corrections.)

Let $(X,x)$ be a germ of a complex surface (i.e. locally the zero set of some holomorphic functions) and assume that $x$ an isolated singular point. Mumford proved that if the local fundamental group of $X$ at $x$ is trivial, then in fact $x$ is smooth.

All the critters in the above paragraph have algebraic analogues, and the conversion was carried out (I believe) by Flenner: Let $A$ be a two-dimensional complete local normal domain containing an algebraically closed field of characteristic zero; if the 'etale fundamental group of [EDIT: the punctured spectrum of] $A$ is trivial, then $A$ is regular.

However, Flenner's proof is essentially by reduction to Mumford's theorem [as far as I, a non-German-speaker, can tell], rather than a new algebraic (or algebro-geometric) proof. So:

Does there exist a purely algebraic or algebro-geometric proof of Mumford's theorem?

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Motivations include: (1) Mumford's proof is completely opaque to me; (2) No, I mean really really opaque; (3) I'm curious about extensions of the theorem to non-isolated singularities [which should probably be another question].