The second phase of a marathon surgery to separate 28-month-old craniopagus conjoined twins (joined at the head) — Jaga and Kalia from Odisha — is underway at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi.
The first phase of the surgery was performed on August 28 when the doctors created a venous bypass to separate the veins shared by the babies that return blood to the heart from the brain. The conjoined twins were admitted at AIIMS on July 13.
A team of about 30 specialists from the institute’s neurosurgery, neuro-anaesthesia and plastic surgery departments are performing the operation.
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Govt sanctions ₹1 crore
“The twins were moved to the operation theatre at 6 a.m. The surgery began at 9 a.m. and is expected to last for over 22 hours,” said a senior doctor at AIIMS, adding that what the twins have is a very rare condition.
The twins hail from Milipada village under Phiringia block at Kandhamal district in Odisha. Bhuyan Kanhar, father of the twins, said: “The surgery is being done as the condition of Jaga deteriorated.”
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The Odisha government has sanctioned ₹1 crore from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund (CMRF) for the twins’ treatment.
Dr. A. K. Mahapatra, chief of the neurosciences centre, had earlier said the twins suffer from the condition which afflicts one in 30 lakh children, of which 50% die either at birth or within 24 hours of being born. The surgery is feasible only on 25% of the survivors while the rest live with the condition.