A heart-breaking story of an operation to give a two year old girl some quality of life might have a happy ending thanks to the expertise of a Gloucestershire company.

Viktoria Kaftanikaite has undergone brain surgery in an effort to help her cope with a rare medical condition which sends her muscles into continuous spasms.

The rare genetic mutation is said to have halted her development and risked becoming life threatening.

Surgeons were able to insert two electrodes into her brain, operating on the 32-month-old using technology developed by Gloucestershire engineering firm Renishaw.

Great to see a @renishawplc neurosurgical robot used in this operation to implant electrodes in the brain to help control this child’s #Dystonia - good luck to the family #neuro https://t.co/90tyH7aJZD

— Chris Pockett (@english_gooner) July 10, 2019

Chris Pockett, chief communications officer for the Wotton-under-Edge firm, said: "We are delighted to see that our neuromate stereotactic robot was used in this highly complex operation.

"Viktoria is the world's youngest person to receive deep brain stimulation surgery to help control her Dystonia, and we wish her and her family all the best for the future."

The operation was carried out by surgeons from King's College Hospital in South London and the Evelina London Children's Hospital's pediatric neurology team

Her head was placed into a stabilising frame which held it still while a robot scanned and mapped it to show surgeons exactly where they needed to penetrate her skull to insert the electrodes.

The electrodes allow for what is called deep brain stimulation and are connected to a pacemaker in inserted in her abdomen.

Channel 4 screened a moving report into the family's plight.