Conjoined twins could be separated in op that could kill

Conjoined twins attached at the head are being assessed to see if they can be separated.

Rabeya and Rokeya, from Bangladesh, are craniopagus conjoined twins, which means they are connected at the top of the cranium.

The 18-month-old girls are receiving medical attention thanks to the intervention of the country’s government.  

The sisters have been admitted to the burn unit at Dhaka Medical College Hospital.

Here they will undergo a series of tests and then a board will be formed to make a decision about the prospects of them having the operation.  

The babies’ mother Taslima Khatun was admitted to a clinic in Pabna town last year where she had a cesarean.

The parents want the twins separated in a bid for them to lead normal lives. 

 

Rabeya and Rokeya, from Bangladesh, are craniopagus conjoined twins, which means they are connected at the top of the cranium

The 18-month-old girls are receiving medical attention thanks to the intervention of the country's government

The 18-month-old girls are receiving medical attention thanks to the intervention of the country’s government

According to local reports, prime minister Sheikh Hasina has issued instructions for all necessary treatment to be provided to the twins.

She came to know about the infants through a local member of parliament.

Taslima and the girls’ their father, Rafiqul Islam, from a village called Atlanka in the Pabna District in the north-western part of the country, have another older child, a girl. 

The sisters have been admitted to the burn unit at Dhaka Medical College Hospital for tests

The sisters have been admitted to the burn unit at Dhaka Medical College Hospital for tests

A board will be formed to make a decision about the prospects of them having the operation 

A board will be formed to make a decision about the prospects of them having the operation 

The babies' mother Taslima Khatun was admitted to a clinic in Pabna town last year where she had a cesarean

The babies’ mother Taslima Khatun was admitted to a clinic in Pabna town last year where she had a cesarean

Rabeya and Rokeya have already amazed doctors as very few craniopagusconjoined twins survive birth

Rabeya and Rokeya have already amazed doctors as very few craniopagusconjoined twins survive birth

Rabeya and Rokeya have already amazed doctors as very few craniopagusconjoined twins survive birth. 

Conjoined twins occur once every 200,000 live births, and even if they survive birth, their prognosis is generally poor.

About 40 per cent are stillborn and an additional 33 percent die after birth, normally due to organ failure or abnormalities. 

But 25 per cent have been known to survive and even have the option to be separated depending on where they are attached at the skull.  

Conjoined twins occur only once every 200,000 live births and their survival is low

Conjoined twins occur only once every 200,000 live births and their survival is low

Scientists believe that conjoined twins develop from a single fertilized egg that fails to separate completely as it divides

Scientists believe that conjoined twins develop from a single fertilized egg that fails to separate completely as it divides

Mortality rates for twins who undergo separation vary, depending on their type of connection, and the organs they share. 

Advances in brain imaging and neurosurgical techniques have made separation surgeries more possible.   

THE SEPARATION OF CONJOINED TWINS

The surgical separation of conjoined twins is a delicate and risky procedure, requiring extreme precision and care.

Therefore, the decision to separate twins is a serious one.

Mortality rates for twins who undergo separation vary, depending on their type of connection, and the organs they share.

In cases of twins where the pumping chambers of their hearts are conjoined hearts, there are no known survivors.

Although success rates have improved over the years, surgical separation is still rare.

Since 1950, at least one twin has survived separation about 75 per cent of the time.

It is only after twins are born that doctors can use magnetic resonance imaging, ultrasound and angiography to find out what organs the twins share. In order to determine the feasibility of separation, doctors must carefully assess how the twins’ shared organs function.

After separation, most twins need intensive rehabilitation because of the malformation and position of their spines.

The muscles in their backs are constantly being flexed and they often have a difficult time bending their backs forward and backwards and sitting up straight.

Source: University of Maryland Medical Centre

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