Surgeons Separate Conjoined Twins for Free Because Parents Couldn’t Pay
The cause of conjoined twins is not yet proven. They are so rare that it’s very hard for health experts to have research made to prove the reason for their cause.
Theories about them exist, and according to Mayo Clinic, one theory states that during early development, the separate embryos fuse somehow.
The second theory states that “when the embryo splits… usually between 13 and 15 days after conception… separation stops before the process is complete, and the resulting twins are conjoined.”
Theories won’t help you however when you are faced with conjoined twins in real life.
This is what ten doctors, five surgeons, and fifteen nurses faced in early December 2018.
In Varanasi, India at the S S Hospital, twin sisters were born weighing seven pounds together and were connected at the stomach. None of the doctors thought that the babies will be able to survive.
The University of Maryland Medical Center stated that conjoined twins usually occur once every 200,000 live births.
Additionally, 40-60% of conjoined twins are stillborn and 35% don’t survive more than one day.
When the twin sisters were thee-days-old, the doctors realized that by separating them, they will give them a bigger percentage of survival and a long life.
Even though the situation seemed hopeless due to the parents not able to afford the medical bills of the surgery, the doctors assured them that they won’t pay anything and that the hospital will pay all of the bills.
The parents were afraid and did not know what would happen, but they still agreed and trusted the doctors. The surgery began on December 6, 2018.
The surgery lasted about 5 hours and luckily it was a success.
Dr. Vaibhav Pandey, assistant professor of pediatric surgery at S S Hospital stated that
“It was one of the rarest operations our hospital does. I am very happy that both survived in spite of the long operation and the children being weak. It was a challenging task.”
The medical team took a photo after the surgery so that they will remember this as part of history. After the surgery, the twin sisters were recovering well and should return home soon.
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