What is the surgery to separate conjoined twins?

Conjoined twins refer to a pair of twin children who grow up together. Generally, surgery is required one year after the birth of conjoined twins. However, many people do not know what the conjoined twins will look like after the separation surgery and are very worried. What is the separation surgery for conjoined twins? Let’s take a closer look at it! I hope everyone can understand this in case of emergency.

Conjoined twins are caused by incomplete early splitting of the fertilized egg. There are more females than males, with a ratio of 3:1. Normally, the fertilized egg splits into two 8 to 12 days after fertilization. If it splits between 13 and 15 days, conjoined twins will appear. Because it is so rare, the ratio is between 1 in 50,000 and 1 in 200,000. The specific reason is still unclear. We only know that it is more common in Latin Americans than in Europeans and Americans, and more common in South Asia and Africa than in other regions. There are no obvious symptoms to detect conjoined twins during pregnancy. The twins may grow too fast, and women are more likely to feel tired, nauseous, and vomit in the early stages of pregnancy. Conjoined twins can be detected by routine ultrasound during the first stage of labor.

Conjoined twins are usually connected at the chest, pelvis, head and hips, and may share one or more internal organs. In rare cases, one may be larger than the other and develop unequally. Conjoined twins must be delivered by caesarean section. About 40% to 60% of conjoined twins are stillborn, the remaining 35% can only survive for one day, and only half can survive for the separation surgery.

After discovering that she is pregnant with conjoined twins, the pregnant woman will receive special care and be prepared for a caesarean section in advance, which is usually performed 2 to 4 weeks before the due date. She will also have to be prepared for an emergency separation operation because if one of the twins dies during or after delivery or the survival of one of the twins is threatened, a separation operation must be performed immediately.

Normally, the separation surgery for conjoined twins is performed within one year after birth. Whether the separation surgery can be performed depends on the following factors: whether the fetuses share organs that are vital to life, whether the health of the fetuses allows the separation surgery, the chances of success, what kind of reconstructive surgery will be required after the surgery, and what problems the fetus will face if the surgery is not performed.

Conjoined twins are two or more fetuses that are not separated at birth. They usually appear in the fertilized egg of identical twins. If the fertilized egg does not split within 12 days, then conjoined twins may occur. The probability of this happening is generally one in 20,000, so the chance is relatively high, so you must pay attention.