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Siamese twins separated
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SURGEONS have successfully separated six-month-old Siamese twins after four hours of surgery, the Xinhua News Agency reported on Wednesday.
Tu Jian and Tu Kang, who were joined between the lower breastbone and the navel, were said to be in stable condition after surgery at Fujian Medical University, Xinhua said.
A large team of medical experts, including specialists in paediatrics, oncology, orthopedics and anaesthesia took part in the highly complex operation, it said.
Lin Jianhua, director of the hospital, said the boys were born in Changting County of Fujian on September 13 last year.
Examinations revealed that the twins have separate hearts, lungs, digestive systems, respiratory systems, urinary systems, but their livers are connected partially, Xinhua said.
"The six by eight centimetre contact area of the twins' livers is a pivotal point in the operation," Lin said.
There were two major blood vessels and some intestinal canals linked together at the contact area.
The twins are under intensive care and the next week will be crucial to their chances of survival. They will be monitored for possible signs of post-operative infections or complications, the medical experts said.
The operation is the latest in a dozen similar procedures carried out in China, according to Xinhua.(SD-Agencies)
Caption: The six-month-old Siamese twins were successfully separated after four hours of surgery.SD-Agencies
Historical documents show that the first separation of Siamese twins was in the 10th century in ancient Rome. But without professional medical treatment and anaesthesia, antisepsis and transfusion, the operation failed with the death of the twins.
In 1806, a European physician separated his Siamese twin daughters, with one dying from infection and the other surviving for five years.
With developments in medical technology and advancements in examination equipment, the survival rate of operations on Siamese twins has largely increased to over 90 per cent for one twin surviving and 53 per cent for both surviving.
Over the past 50 years, hospitals worldwide have done nearly 200 separate operations on Siamese twins, at least three quarters have been successful.
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