Surgery using a highly-specialised robot has transformed the life of a 20-month old Baildon girl.

Ava Moxon was taken ill during a family visit to her grandparent’s home in Liverpool and was rushed to Leeds where she underwent hours of surgery to remove a cyst on her liver.

Mr Naved Alizai, a consultant children’s liver surgeon at the Leeds Teaching Hospitals, carried out the surgery using a hi-tech surgical robot.

Ava’s mother Jenny Moxon, of Greenwood Road, said: “When Mr Alizai first mentioned the possibility of using a robot to help with the surgery my husband Steve and I were extremely worried.

“Our first reaction was to say no, we would rather put our trust in a surgeon than a machine.

“However, Mr Alizai assured us that although the robot would be assisting with the operation, he would be the one that was controlling it. As such the benefits to our daughter would be a much quicker recovery time, reduced risk of infection, plus much less scarring than if she underwent a conventional operation.

“She was in surgery for about eight hours and that was the longest day of our lives.

“But fortunately for us it all went very well. She recovered amazingly quickly.

"Before the operation she had never been particularly well, so she was a lot more comfortable immediately and was home within five days, which was a big relief as it was coming up to Christmas.

“The incisions have hardly left any scars at all and she healed really quickly – we’re so grateful to Mr Alizai and the team who helped make our little girl well.”

  • Read the full story in Thursday's T&A