These two baby girls who were conjoined in the abdomen are enjoying their new life after they were successfully separated at a German hospital.
The Siamese twins were born by caesarean section at 33 weeks of pregnancy in mid-August 2023 in the Clinic for Obstetrics and Prenatal Medicine at the University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE).
The parents from northern Germany, who have not been named, found out that their twins were unusually close together and further tests confirmed in the 12th week of pregnancy that they were connected at the abdomen.
Prof. Dr. Kurt Hecher, director of the clinic and polyclinic for obstetrics and prenatal medicine at the UKE said in a statement obtained by Newsflash from the University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf on 10th January.
“It was a particular challenge because with a normal twin birth, only one child at a time has to fit through the opening of the uterus. As they are brought into the world one after the other.
“In this case, there were two children at the same time.
“We are all the more pleased with the parents and their family about the happy outcome of this very special pregnancy and birth.”
The two seven-week-old babies at the time were successfully separated in a four-hour procedure on 6th October and their bellies were closed, according to the hospital.
Prof.Dr. Konrad Reinshagen, Director of the Clinic and Polyclinic for Pediatric Surgery at the UKE, said in the statement.
Mum Gives Birth To Conjoined Twins
“Even before birth, it was determined using ultrasound examination and fetal MRI that all vital organs were present. In both twins and that there was only a fusion of the abdominal wall and the two livers.”
Prof. Dr. Dominique Singer, head of the neonatology and pediatric intensive care section at the UKE said: “Our medical and nursing team quickly adapted to caring for the children in a ‘double pack’.
“Even when the two of them went through a somewhat more difficult phase before the operation. We always had the impression that they stabilized each other.”
The hospital said the girls have fully recovered from the surgery after they were discharged home at the end of October.
They added that the girls have already doubled their combined birth weight of 3,600 grammes and are developing normally.
The parents, who have not been named, told local media: “We are deeply grateful to the UKE for the care, provision and separation of our girls.
“We would like to encourage other parents. So much is now possible in medicine.”
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Story By: Marija Stojkoska, Sub-Editor: Marija Stojkoska, Agency: Newsflash
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