Conjoined Twins From New York Successfully Separated
Conjoined twins from Adams, NY, who were joined at the lower chest and abdomen, have been separated by doctors at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.
The twins, eight-month-old Allison June and Amelia Lee Tucker, shared their chest wall, diaphragm, pericardium and liver, said a news release from the hospital.
The 40-member team that was part of the surgery was led by Dr. Holly L. Hedrick.
"Like all separations of conjoined twins, this was a very complex surgery, but it went very well and as expected. Allison and Amelia are currently recovering in the Newborn/Infant Intensive Care Unit (N/IICU) and will be monitored closely by CHOP's expert clinical teams for the duration of their recovery," said Dr. Hedrick.
Identical twins develop when a single fertilized egg splits in the first two weeks of conception, says U.S. National Library of Medicine. Conjoined twins develop when this split occurs after the first two weeks of conception.
Conjoined twins occur once in every 50,000 to 60,000 births and most of them are stillborn. Approximately 75 percent of conjoined twins are female and joined at least partially in the chest and share organs with one another. Chances of twins surviving a surgery are greater if they have separate sets of organs rather than if they share organs, the hospital said.
"After extensive prenatal testing and evaluation, the Center's team of maternal-fetal medicine specialists, surgeons and others determined that the Tucker girls had a thoraco-omphalopagus connection (twins are joined at the lower chest and abdomen) and were excellent candidates for separation," explained Dr. Hedrick.
The twins have spent most of their life inside the hospital. Doctors say that the girls are now recovering well and should be able to live healthy and independent lives.
"We expect that, with this complex surgery behind them, Allison and Amelia will receive the care, therapy and support to allow them to live full, healthy and independent lives," concluded Dr. Hedrick.