Phase II separation surgery of conjoined twins Jaga-Kalia begins

Bhubaneswar: The phase II cranial separation surgery of Kandhamal conjoined twins Jaga-Kalia has begun today at AIIMS, New Delhi. The process may take 25 to 27 hours, informed Health Minister Pratap Jena.

“The twins were taken to Operation Theatre (OT) at 6 am today. After necessary clinical arrangements, the team of experts started the operation, currently in progress. We hope things will go well with the blessings of Lord Jagannath,” Jena said.

The AIIMS experts didn’t feel need of foreign doctors to be involved in the operation. “We had suggested them to engage any expert from across the world in the operation process, if needed. The Odisha government is ready to bear expenses of the foreign doctors,” the minister told newsmen.

Earlier, the operation was postponed since the duo was suffering from acute blood shortage. They were undergoing regular blood transfusion, the minister added.

Since Jaga's condition deteriorated, the surgery was conducted today on an emergency, the twins’ father Bhuyan Kanhar told OTV over phone.

Jena had earlier said that condition of Jaga, one of the conjoined twins was unwell due to acute blood shortage. The duo was kept under observation.

The first phase surgery to separate the twins was completed successfully on August 29. In the 20-hour surgery, the doctors had performed venous bypass to separate the veins shared by the babies that return blood to the heart from the brain.

A team of around 20 specialists from neurosurgery, neuro-anaesthesia and plastic surgery department besides a Japanese expert were involved in the procedure.

The 27-month-old twins are craniopagus conjoined twins who are joined at the head. This is a very rare condition.