Girl, six, becomes the youngest person in the world to undergo potentially life-saving surgery on brain tumours carried out by a ROBOT - after dozens of doctors refused to operate on her

  • A six-year-old girl made medical history after doctors said she had 12 months left
  • Tumours sat dangerously close to main artery and thought impossible to remove
  • Thirty-seven surgeons across the world refused to use the technology on Freyja
  • The complicated operation by Melbourne surgeons used a robot called da Vinci

By SAM LOCK FOR DAILY MAIL AUSTRALIA and AUSTRALIAN ASSOCIATED PRESS

Published: | Updated:

Six-year-old Freyja Christiansen is finally heading home after she made medical history when robot technology saved her life

Six-year-old Freyja Christiansen is finally heading home after she made medical history when robot technology saved her life

Six-year-old Freyja Christiansen is finally heading home after she was told she only had 12 months to live and 37 surgeons across the world refused to use a complicated technology that could save her life.

Freyja was battling a rare and aggressive cancer after she was diagnosed with clear-cell sarcoma in 2016 after specialists found two tumours positioned precariously close to a main artery at the base of her skull. 

The cancerous tumours on her neck and a large malignant mass at the back of her throat needed to be removed, but surgeons were cautious to operate on someone so young.  

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Freyja Christiansen, 6, was diagnosed with clear-cell sarcoma in 2016 and her tumour was thought to be inoperable. Now she is finally heading home after spending weeks in hospital

Freyja Christiansen, 6, was diagnosed with clear-cell sarcoma in 2016 and her tumour was thought to be inoperable. Now she is finally heading home after spending weeks in hospital

Freyja was told she only had 12 months to live and 37 surgeons across the world refused to use a complicated technology that could save her life

Freyja was told she only had 12 months to live and 37 surgeons across the world refused to use a complicated technology that could save her life

Surgeons Ben Dixon and Matthew Magarey at Melbourne's Epworth hospital used a 'da Vinci' robot (pictured) to successfully remove part of Freyja's tumour on February 28, 2018

Surgeons Ben Dixon and Matthew Magarey at Melbourne's Epworth hospital used a 'da Vinci' robot (pictured) to successfully remove part of Freyja's tumour on February 28, 2018

Freyja had cancerous tumours on her neck and a large malignant mass at the back of her throat

Freyja had cancerous tumours on her neck and a large malignant mass at the back of her throat

Freyja is believed to be the youngest of 40 cases ever recorded worldwide, and her cancer was not usually seen in someone so young.   

Her only hope was a complicated operation, using a robot called da Vinci to remove the tumours. 

Immunotherapy was used to reduce the size of the tumours but the little girl needed specific surgery to have the removed. 

Doctors had previously told the family the large tumour was inaccessible and surgery was too dangerous. 

Thirty-seven surgeons across the world refused to use the technology on Freyja.

'It was during a phone call to Boston Children's Hospital that the name of Melbourne cancer surgeon Ben Dixon came up,' Freyja's mother, Liz Christiansen said.

'It was a bit of a fluke really ... we were willing to fly anywhere in the world but the fact that we had the skills and the technology in Melbourne was amazing.' 

Six-year-old Freyja Christiansen is finally heading home after spending countless weeks in hospital battling a rare and aggressive cancer not usually seen in someone so young

Six-year-old Freyja Christiansen is finally heading home after spending countless weeks in hospital battling a rare and aggressive cancer not usually seen in someone so young

Dr Dixon had only used the machine on adults but agreed to take on Freyja's case.

'We knew that if Epworth (hospital) could not take the case, it would have been difficult for Freyja to have her condition managed surgically in Australia,' he said.

Dr Dixon and fellow surgeon Matthew Magarey used the robot to successfully remove part of Freyja's tumour at the end of last month. 

The Australian-first robotic surgery was credited with the miracle tumour removal. Dr Dixon had only used the machine on adults but agreed to take on Freyja's case

The Australian-first robotic surgery was credited with the miracle tumour removal. Dr Dixon had only used the machine on adults but agreed to take on Freyja's case

The rest of the tumours were removed after subsequent surgery on Wednesday.

'To say this is a huge success is an understatement,' Ms Christiansen said.

'We're not out of the woods just yet but everything that's happened, every breakthrough and every surgery has just been miracle after miracle.'

Freyja will be discharged from hospital on Wednesday and is expected to continue immunotherapy in Melbourne or Sydney.

'We're not out of the woods just yet but everything that's happened, every breakthrough and every surgery has just been miracle after miracle,' Ms Christiansen said

'We're not out of the woods just yet but everything that's happened, every breakthrough and every surgery has just been miracle after miracle,' Ms Christiansen said

'To say this is a huge success is an understatement,' Ms Christiansen said. Freyja will be discharged from hospital on Wednesday

'To say this is a huge success is an understatement,' Ms Christiansen said. Freyja will be discharged from hospital on Wednesday

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