BEIJING: In Shanghai, the conjoined twins, An An and Xin Xin, are recovering after their operation to separate them, reports Xinhua News.
The girls were born in April, joined at the breast and abdomen. And 6 hours and scores of stitches later, they became two separate babies.
They are finally two persons.
The twins were born with their livers joined. Also, their hearts, although separate, were covered in one sac.
The problems were diagnosed 19 weeks into their mother’s pregnancy. She decided to carry on with the pregnancy after doctors’ advice.
Dr Chen Qimin, Shanghai Children’s Medical Centre, said, “During the past 4 months, we’ve worked out many plans for the situations that could happen during surgery. The preparation was comprehensive, so we were confident about it. The surgery went through very well as planned.”
The twins were born with a combined weight of nearly 5 kg. During the past 4 months, their weight has become ideal for the operation. However, after the surgery, the little sisters will have to face new challenges.
Dr Chen says the girls also went through reshaping and remodeling of their breast bones with titanium-alloy plates. During their recovery, the girls could suffer from pneumonia, malnutrition and other possible diseases. But the hospital is well prepared.
Xu Zheming, pediatrics director of Shanghai Children’s Medical Centre, said, “We’re working closely with doctors from different departments such as infection, respiratory and nutrition to help them through any difficulties.”
The twins are now on recovering with the help of breathing apparatus which doctors say they may need for some time.