On Tuesday, a pair of two-year-old conjoined twin girls with an extremely rare condition now separated after an 18-hour operation. Bambino Gesu Pediatric Hospital, a hospital at Vatican City, reported the good news in a press release.
Ervina and Prefina, who are from the Central African Republic, were born with conjoined skulls. After the operation by 30 doctors, now the conjoined twins are separated successfully. The operation happened on June 5, and the doctors expect them to make a full recovery.
First time in history
It is the first time in the history that doctors of Italy have successfully done the operation. The conjoined twins have a total posterior craniopagus. Their condition meant not only sharing the skull, but also a majority of their blood vessels.
Worldwide, there are no other successful cases of intervention described in medical literature elsewhere. According to the team, the twin's case is one of the rarest and most complex fusion forms. The team explained that they prepared for more than one year for the intervention.
How the hospital president met the twins
In July 2018, the president of the hospital went on a trip to the Central African Republic. When president Mariella Enoc met the twins, she offered to treat them in Rome.
In September 2018, the twins and their mother, Ermine, arrived in Italy. In May 2019, the doctors carried out the girls' first stage of treatment. They had the second stage of treatment in June 2019. Then finally, last month, the doctors separated the conjoined twins.
It was once an ambitious goal
The head of neurosurgery at the hospital, Carlo Marras, happily shared the news. He said that it was an exciting and fantastic moment and unrepeatable experience. He also said that it was initially a very ambitious goal. They did everything they could with passion, optimism, and joy to achieve it.
On June 29, the twins celebrated their second birthday. Their medical checkups showed that both girls are doing well. The hospital reported that both of their brains are intact. The doctors believe that their motor and cognitive development should be normal after the successful surgery.
The twin's mother thanked the team of doctors who did their best for her daughters. She said that she would like Pope Francis to baptize her twins. She said that her children were born twice, and she does not know what could have happened if she stayed in Africa. She is happy that her twins could now grow up, study, and became future doctors to save other children.
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