ConJoined twins to be separated at KNH

Doctors at the Kenyatta National hospital have been conducting delicate tests on a pair of conjoined twins so as to separate them. It is the first of such a case that doctors will be handling in the hospital

The mother to the conjoined twins said that prayers have been her only source of comfort and strength after she gave birth to the twins three months ago. The girls, Blessed and Favor are joined at the lower back, a rare condition known as Pygopagus which requires a delicate operation from a team of Neurosurgeons, pediatric surgeons, plastic and reconstructive surgeons and urologists. It is the 10th recorded case worldwide

The twins arrived at the Kenyatta National Hospital on 5th September from Kiirua Mission hospital in Meru county for specialized treatment.

Dr. Joel Lessan, a consultant pediatric surgeon at KNH said the waists of the two girls are coming through one opening. He said that his team’s biggest challenge will be getting tissues to cover the twins’ back side when the operation is complete. They will also need enough tissue to support the lower back. He is however optimistic of a successful outcome once the twins are operated on.

Conjoined twins are genetically identical and of the same sex. Both develop from the same fertilized egg which fails to fully separate after fertilization. The condition which is common among females is very rare. Its estimated to range from 1 in 49,000 births to 1 in 189,000 births, with a higher occurences in Southwest Asia, Africa and Brazil