Nigerian conjoined twins get a new life in Bengaluru

Bengaluru : James and John, conjoined twins from Nigeria, were separated successfully in a rare and risky surgery at a city hospital in Bengaluru.

The two were omphalopagus twins, a medical condition in which the body is joined at the upper part of their abdomen.

As per medical findings, chances of having a conjoined twins is very rare and their rate of survival is even less. Most of them die before birth and a major chunk fails to survive after birth too. But these two have turned out to be miraculous.

Ashley D’Cruz, director and senior consultant pediatric surgeon, Narayana Health said, “Separation of conjoined twins calls for a very detailed and complex intervention. First and foremost, the medications had to be calculated and distributed to both babies in a manner that both received optimal doses. Further, sedation and anesthesia had to be provided to both the babies. This is specifically challenging in this case as they are lying on their sides and cannot be put flat on their backs. Also, due to potential for cross-circulation, careful administration of drugs had to be ensured,” he added.

James and John were referred to Narayana Health by Anavara, a medical tourism company, in Nigeria.