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L.A. Doctors Separate Conjoined Twins
Forbes.com ^ | 6/15/06 | Alicia Chang

Posted on 06/15/2006 4:25:43 AM PDT by Non-Sequitur

A medical team worked through the night to rebuild the bodies of two conjoined twins who were successfully separated after a daylong operation, a hospital spokesman said.

A calm feeling filled the operating room at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles after surgeons gently cut the last pelvic bone connecting the sisters and moved on to the reconstruction phase of the marathon operation, said hospital spokesman Steve Rutledge.

"They seem to be doing fine," Rutledge said.

Ten-month-old Regina and Renata Salinas Fierros spent their first moments apart when one of them was wheeled to another room late Wednesday so plastic surgeons could begin the reconstruction work.

The Salinas Fierros sisters were born facing each other, joined from the lower chest to the pelvis. They were fused in several places including the liver and genitals and shared a large intestine. Regina was born with one kidney.

During the operation, doctors made an incision at the breastbone and then divided the internal organs.

Several doctors on the 80-person medical team also took part in the 2003 separation of conjoined twins from a set of triplets at the hospital. Wednesday's surgery was considered more complex because it involved more organs.

Despite the risks, doctors said they expected a successful operation.

"Everything has been going impeccably, as one could possibly imagine," surgical director Dr. Henri Ford said several hours into the surgery.

Conjoined twins occur when a single fertilized egg fails to divide completely. It's estimated that a few hundred pairs of conjoined twins are born globally each year. In the U.S., they occur 1 in every 200,000 live births.

The way that Regina and Renata were fused makes them a rare type of conjoined twins, occurring in about 10 percent of cases.

The twins were born in Los Angeles on Aug. 2, 2005, to Mexican parents who were visiting relatives in the United States. The girls' mother, 23-year-old Sonia, said she didn't realize she was carrying conjoined twins until she was hospitalized with an infection.

The couple extended their tourist visa so that the twins could receive medical care.

The girls were transferred to Childrens Hospital a day after their birth where they underwent tests in preparation for the separation surgery. Doctors implanted inflatable balloons under their skin so that it could expand to cover the surgical wounds after the operation.

Childrens Hospital declined to reveal the operation's cost, which will be covered by a state health program. The hospital previously performed five conjoined twin operations since 1966 including three cases in which both twins survived.


TOPICS: Miscellaneous; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: conjoined; immigration; medicaid; medicine; surgery; tourists; twins; visa
OK, the state and taxpayers of California have paid all the medical bills because the parents, citizens of Mexico, decided that they wanted to stay and have their conjoined twins here? Anyone else see something wrong with this?
1 posted on 06/15/2006 4:25:45 AM PDT by Non-Sequitur
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To: Non-Sequitur
I think that it was not long ago that we (as American Citizens) were very compassionate about this sort of thing. Willing to help anyone in the world...at any time.

Now, with all these illegals stealing at our expense (medical care, welfare, social security), I think our compassion has run out.

I know mine has. I feel for these babies, Jose and Maria need to be footing the bill for this.

2 posted on 06/15/2006 4:29:20 AM PDT by Ranger Drew
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To: Ranger Drew
Now, with all these illegals stealing at our expense (medical care, welfare, social security), I think our compassion has run out.

In all fairness, the parents were here on a tourist visa and they extended it legally, so I don't have a problem with them following the law in that regard. I DO have a problem with California footing the bill. They seem to have extended their stay for the sole purpose of bilking the taxpayers for the medical care. That, to me, would seem to be fraud.

3 posted on 06/15/2006 4:38:56 AM PDT by Non-Sequitur
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To: Ranger Drew

There are some things we have to accept.

We may wonder why they just happened to be in America on a tourist Visa when this discovery was made, but to say the operation shouldnt have been done unless they could pay for it is kind of cold.


4 posted on 06/15/2006 4:40:04 AM PDT by sgtbono2002 (The fourth estate is a fifth column.)
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To: Non-Sequitur

My compassion is just about all worn out.


5 posted on 06/15/2006 4:41:50 AM PDT by SWAMPSNIPER (LET ME DIE ON MY FEET, IN MY SWAMP)
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To: Non-Sequitur
In all fairness, the parents were here on a tourist visa and they extended it legally....

How convenient.

Something stinks here. Bill the mexican govt. for the tab. They have national health care. Let their govt. foot the bill.

6 posted on 06/15/2006 4:43:00 AM PDT by raybbr (You think it's bad now - wait till the anchor babies start to vote.)
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To: sgtbono2002
Heartlessness is all to common from some quarters.

This type of operation may well benefit future babies born with this condition.

Evidently compassion extends to horses before babies to some folks.

7 posted on 06/15/2006 5:26:42 AM PDT by OldFriend (I Pledge Allegiance to the Flag.....and My Heart to the Soldier Who Protects It.)
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To: raybbr

Usually these articles go something like, the US brings the child here and the hospital and different organizations cover the cost. They show us doing what we do best. Helping others. I don't blame the mother for trying to get help for her babies and pray they recover. I'm all for helping these babies but what I think stinks here is that IMO a normally up lifting story may be being used to get those with concerns to look uncaring and cold.


8 posted on 06/15/2006 5:28:27 AM PDT by CindyDawg
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To: Non-Sequitur

The vacation visa was overdue..they were illegals...of course.....probably cost $500,000


9 posted on 06/15/2006 5:57:21 AM PDT by Youngman442002
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