KUALA LUMPUR: A pair of 17-day-old conjoined twins has been successfully separated by a surgical team at Hospital Tunku Azizah (HTA) here, a historic first for the country.
“Such operations are normally conducted when the babies are at three to six years old, but due to the complication of ‘extrauterine twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome’, the operation had to be conducted immediately when they were only 17 days old,” said HTA paediatric surgery consultant specialist Datuk Dr Zakaria Zahari.
He said the twins, weighing 2.7kg, were successfully separated on Saturday in 66 minutes.
News of the operation, the first successful separation of premature conjoined twins in Malaysia, was posted on HTA’s Facebook page yesterday.
The “omphalopagus” type of conjoined twins means that they share their liver while other organs are normal.
The boys were born at Hospital Raja Permaisuri Bainun (HRPB) in Ipoh when their mother was only 33 weeks into her pregnancy.
HRPB neonatology specialist Dr Maneet Kaur Ranjuth Singh then referred the twins to HTA for further treatment.
After an online discussion between HRPB and HTA specialist doctors at 2pm on March 15, a decision was made to conduct the risky surgery.
On Saturday, Dr Zakaria’s team, which included six paediatric specialists from all over the country, a paediatric anaesthetics team led by Dr Intan Zarina Fakir Mohamed and Dr Ruwaida Isa, as well as about 20 nurses and staff at the paediatric operating theatre, separated the twins without any major complications.
The preparation for the historic operation began at 7.30am. By 2pm, the twins were sent to the neonatal intensive care unit.
The HTA neonatology team is led by Dr Neoh Siew Hong and nurses.
This is the third operation involving conjoined twins at the HTA since its opening.
Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah congratulated the team, saying that it was a job well done.
“The surgery had to be done urgently as the twins were exhibiting extrauterine twin-to-twin transfusion, pushing one twin to develop cardiac failure,” he said.
He also posted pictures on Facebook and Twitter, showing the triumphant team at work.
The Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah, and the Raja Permaisuri Agong, Tunku Hajah Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah, also congratulated the HTA for successfully conducting the first separation of premature conjoined twins in Malaysia.
Istana Negara, in a Facebook posting, said Their Majesties expressed their gratitude that the conjoined twins went through the operation without major complications.
“Their Majesties prayed that the conjoined twins would be in good health and recover quickly and be able to live a life like other children,” said the posting.