HWKKS Records Second Conjoined Twins Surgery Success In Just Over Two Months

Detailed summary

KOTA KINABALU, Nov 11 (Bernama) -- The Sabah Women and Children’s Hospital (HWKKS) achieved another significant medical milestone after successfully separating a pair of pygopagus…

KOTA KINABALU, Nov 11 (Bernama) -- The Sabah Women and Children’s Hospital (HWKKS) achieved another significant medical milestone after successfully separating a pair of pygopagus conjoined twin boys on Sept 17, its second such success following an earlier operation on July 2.

In a Facebook post today, HWKKS said the twins were just 40 days old when they underwent the high-risk separation surgery.

“The success of two highly complex separation surgeries within a short period underscores the unwavering commitment and outstanding medical expertise of the team at Sabah’s main paediatric referral centre,” it said.

The surgery was brought forward after one of the twins required increased respiratory support due to physiological stress affecting their shared organ systems.

The successful surgery was made possible through the coordinated efforts of a multidisciplinary team of specialists from HWKKS, Tunku Azizah Hospital (HTA) in Kuala Lumpur and Sarawak General Hospital (HUS).

The hospital said the complex procedure involved separating the twins’ lower intestinal and urinary tracts, reconstructing the pelvic floor, creating a new anal opening (neoanus) and restoring their urinary pathways.

“The paediatric neurosurgical team carried out detailed nerve mapping and meticulous dissection in the sacral region to protect the spinal cord and preserve the twins’ ability to move their legs.

“The surgery to separate the twins, who were joined at the lower spine, also required the expertise of an anaesthesiology team to maintain the haemodynamic stability of both patients simultaneously throughout the operation,” the post said.

The twins were born prematurely at 32 weeks of gestation via an emergency Caesarean section, following the early detection of their conjoined condition during antenatal care.

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