Conjoined Pakistani twins separated in rare surgery in London

(Great Ormond Street Hospital viaTwitter)
Having twins joined at the head with fused skulls and separate bodies occurs in less than one in a million births.
Two-year-old twins joined at the head have undergone successful surgery at a British hospital to separate their skulls, brains and blood vessels, doctors said on Tuesday.
The highly complex surgery involved multiple operations on Safa and Marwa Ullah, who were born in Pakistan in January 2017 with a condition known as "craniopagus" in which the girls' skulls and parts of their brains were joined and intertwined.
"Craniopagus is an exceptionally rare and complex condition," said David J. Dunaway, who co-led the surgical team that treated the twins. The operation, conducted in February, was the most complex such separation his team had performed to date, he said.
Having twins joined at the head with fused skulls and separate bodies occurs in less than one in a million births, while having the connection extend into the brain tissue is rarer still. Around 50 sets of craniopagus twins are estimated to be born around the world every year, of which only around 15 are thought to survive beyond the first 30 days of life.
Dunaway said this separation was helped by state-of-the-art technology including virtual reality, advanced imaging and three-dimensional rapid prototyping - allowing the surgeons to use images of the girls' brains and blood vessels to plan and practice the surgery in advance to minimise complications.
The procedures took place at London's Great Ormond Street hospital, with the girls well enough to be discharged from hospital four months later on July 1.
"These cutting-edge scientific techniques greatly increased the chance of success for Safa and Marwa. Their brains were more intertwined than the previous sets of craniopagus twins making it the most complicated separation to date," the Great Ormond Street team said in a statement.
Five months after their final operation, Safa and Marwa are making slow but steady progress, the doctors said, adding that "a further period of recuperation and rehabilitation is essential to maximise their recovery".
-
Americas
I will not be going to the Inauguration: Donald...
He will be the first incumbent president in 152 years to skip his... READ MORE
-
Technology
Galaxy S21 tipped to be Samsung's cheapest...
Samsung had a market share of 19.5 percent in terms of smartphone... READ MORE
-
Coronavirus Pandemic
Covid-19: Two Chinese cities sealed off to squash ...
Residents of Shijiazhuang and Xingtai were banned from leaving the... READ MORE
-
MENA
UAE set to reopen land, sea and airports with...
UAE will begin to end all measures taken against Qatar. READ MORE
-
Coronavirus Pandemic
UAE reports 3,491 Covid cases, 3,311 recoveries,...
More than 23.5 million Covid-19 tests have been carried out in the... READ MORE
-
Coronavirus Pandemic
UAE's compulsory Covid tests for unvaccinated...
Only those that have received both doses of the Covid-19 vaccines are ... READ MORE
-
Coronavirus Pandemic
Dubai: Covid-19 PCR tests won't be available at...
Full list of centres that continue to offer Covid-19 testing... READ MORE
-
News
Pink lake discovered in UAE; drone photos go viral
Emirati teen discovers lake on an island in Ras Al Khaimah. READ MORE





