Nigerian Conjoined Twins Declared “Healthy” After Operation In India

Doctors have declared a pair of formerly conjoined twins healthy and happy after they were successfully separated in a marathon “nerve-wracking” 18-hour operation at a New Delhi hospital in India by a team of 40 specialists.

“They were fused at their back when they came to us which is very rare.” 

“Usually the twins are joined in the head or the upper body. It posed a huge challenge to our team of doctors,” “It was all nerve-wracking work. But it feels great to see them happy, healthy and independent'', paediatric surgeon Prashant Jain told AFP.

Jain said only 15 percent of all conjoined twins are born with this type of condition, known medically as pygopagus. Medical literature lists just 32 such cases, he said.

The family, from Kano state in Nigeria, were told by doctors  that one of the girls may not survive if they went ahead with the surgery there.

An unnamed philanthropist then stepped in to help, and suggested they travel to India which offered good facilities at relatively low medical costs, Jain said.

The family can head home to Nigeria after a series of month-long check ups, he said.