Bahawalpur operation: Conjoined twins separated, one survives

The other twin was not fully formed, say doctors.

BAHAWALPUR:

Surgeons at the Bahawal Victoria Hospital separated newly born conjoined twins in a six-hour long operation on Saturday, saving the life of one of the twins.

The other twin was not fully formed, with its neck and head inside the chest of the surviving twin, doctors said.

Though the conjoined twins shared the same aorta, the main blood vessel; their lungs, intestines and livers were separate, they said. The limbs of the conjoined twins were also attached to one another.

The spouse of Muhammad Ameen, a resident of Layaha Muhammad, Bahawalpur, gave birth to the twins on Friday, after a decade-long struggle to conceive.

After a thorough checkup, it was advised that a surgery be performed on the twins.

The operation, conducted by the head of child surgery ward Professor Dr Zubair Ahmad, lasted for six hours.

Dr Ahmad, Dr Muhammad Abid and Dr Adnan Bhutta told The Express Tribune that the child who survived was fully formed and separate from the chest up.

Doctors said the surviving twin is out of danger and will be able to live a normal life. The lungs and liver of the child are functioning properly and he will be able to start feeding in a couple of days, they added.

While speaking to The Express Tribune, Muhammad Ameen thanked the doctors for their efforts and the Punjab chief minister for providing free medicine, which made the surgery possible.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 2^nd, 2012.