Siamese twins separated successfully - but many want to stay together!

Siamese twins - separation was successful!

The Siamese twins Nima and Dawa in Bhutan had grown together on the upper body. Now they have been separated in a long operation in Melbourne, and so far they have weathered the procedure well.

A liver, a gut

Nima and Dawa shared a liver and intestinal tract. Both could successfully separate the Chrururgen. Except for minor problems, the operation was successful.

Identical twins emerge as separate embryos in an egg. If this separation is incomplete, it grows together. (Image: konradbak / fotolia.com)

What are Siamese twins?

Siamese twins are an aberration in which, at an early stage, the embryos grow together, some only on the tissue, others divide organs, arms and legs.

Where does the name come from?

Chang and Eng Bunker became known. Both were born in Thailand in 1811. The country was then called Siam, from which the name Siamese twins followed.

How do Siamese twins come into being??
Identical twins are formed when the fertilized egg cell divides into two independent embryos. If these embryoblasts are incompletely separated, and this after the 13th day, then they remain connected.

How often do fetuses grow together??

Such a malformation occurs in about 1 in 60,000 to 1 in 200,000 cases, in identical twins in 1 in 300. Three out of ten die before delivery, so the rate for a pair of Siamese twins is 1 million births.

Which adhesions are there?

Most of these embryos grow together in the chest area (70 percent), followed by adhesions at the hip (5 percent) and at the head (less than 2 percent). Less likely to connect belly or rump.

The Janus head

As a Janus's head, we refer to Siamese twins whose faces look in different directions. The namesake is the ancient god Janus. Some mythologists even explain the imagination of such gods and mythical creatures even from malformations in infants.

What is the mortality rate??

If a separation is possible and occurs in the first three weeks after birth, the death rate is 50 percent, from the fourth week over 90 percent. So many shy away from the risk. Some sufferers also consider the separation from their Siamese twin critical for other reasons and would prefer it if no separation occurs.

When can the twins be separated??

The twins can be separated if both have all the vital organs after the separation. The splitting of a common liver as in Nima and Dawa was still considered impossible. The processes necessary for life, such as the blood circulation, must not be inseparably intertwined. The easiest way is when the twins are only superficially fused in the tissue.

Early certificates

Siamese twins are also found among animals. From ancient Peru, we know representations of such couples, as well as the 11th century. There was a Siamese twin couple in Biddenden known as Mary and Eliza Chulkhorst. In the 17th century Lazarus and Joannes Baptista Colloredo moved together from the fair to the fair. In 1709, a pair of sisters from Hungary was exhibited at the Leipzig Easter Fair.

Hope and Faith

The Australian sisters Hope and Faith were born in 2014. Their brains and faces were separate, but they lived in one body. Although they were still healthy one week after their birth, they only died two weeks later. In 2015, a baby with two heads was born in Bangladesh. (Dr. Utz Anhalt)