Posted on 03/06/2005 2:46:54 PM PST by nickcarraway
SIAMESE twins from Anhui Province were sent to Shanghai East Hospital on March 1 for separation surgery, the Shanghai Youth Daily reported.
Shanghai East Hospital is our last opportunity, I hope Shanghai doctors can successfully separate my babies,?said the mother of the twins.
The twins are staying in the special ward for newborn babies. The twins share a heart, their livers and intestines are connected together and their bodies are connected for 15 centimetres from chest to navel.
Liu Zhongmin, president of the hospital, said the incidence of Siamese twins is only one out of 200,000 births. He said this type of Siamese twins is even more rare, perhaps the first in the world.
The twins were born last December 14 through Caesarean operation in Anhui Province. After the birth of the twins, none of the family members and doctors told me the truth,?said the 22-year-old mother. “I didn’t know the truth until two months later.? The mother said she had no diseases during her pregnancy and her prenatal examination didn’t detect any abnormalities.
Liu said the twins are smaller than ordinary babies. Their heads haven’t developed well and two lungs developed infection. Their heartbeat is over 150 per minute.
If they are not separated soon, they probably will die from heart failure, said Liu, who admits there is no 100 per cent assurance of success. Though Shanghai doctors have often successfully separated Siamese twins, this case is different from those they usually face.
Liu said the hospital will schedule surgery as soon as possible. After the operation, one baby may have an artificial heart.
To prepare for the operation, the hospital set up a special treatment group including 12 experts from the epicardial, maternity, pediatrics and nutrition departments.
Perhaps a donor heart can be found.
Do they have artificial hearts for babies?
I have to wonder if these twins can live long enough to find a transplantable heart and other organs.
Awwwww!Adorable babies!
A heart-touching situation--it also gives a "good" spin to a regime that dictates mandatory abortions, particularly of females...
Those poor babies. Lord, please watch over them and give them healing in this life or the next.
" her prenatal examination didn’t detect any abnormalities."
Another reason to keep our medical care like it is. Nearly 100% of pregnant women here get an ultrasound sometime during the pregnancy. Two heads, four arms, four legs and ONLY ONE HEART would not be missed here.
I hope you are not suggesting that medical misdiagnoses never happen here.
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