India's first attempt to separate twins joined at the head
What's the story
In a first, about 40 doctors in India are attempting to separate a pair of conjoined twins who are joined at the head. "We are hoping to save both but even if one survives, it will be a historic achievement," said a doctor at AIIMS. Till now, about 50 such procedures have been attempted around the world with a success rate below 25%.
Patients
Survival of 28-month-old Jaga-Baliya was getting riskier
The 28-month-old twins, Jaga and Baliya, belong to Milipada village of Odisha's Kandhamal district. The risk to their lives was gradually increasing due to their condition. Their plight was reported in the media a couple of months ago, following which they were brought to AIIMS in Delhi with state government assistance of Rs. 1cr. The Kandhamal administration provided another Rs. 1L.
Procedure
Experts have been called in from Japan
The two-phased surgery started at around 9am yesterday and is expected to last 50 hours. About 40 doctors led by Japanese physician Dr. K Taki Jawa are involved. The twins share veins that take blood to the heart from the brain, so surgeons plan to make an alternative venous channel and separate the brain in the first stage, then complete separation and skin closure.
Stats
Twins joined at head occur once in 25mn live births
There's one other pair of twins joined at the head in India who are surviving without surgery. Twenty-year-old Saba and Farah weren't operated upon because of the risks. But the operation on Jaga-Baliya was done "with the hope of saving at least one", doctors said. Twins joined at the head occur once in 25mn live births. Four of ten such twins die at birth.