After a week’s anticipation on the fate of the conjoined twins born last weekend, specialists at the Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) have decided not to separate them surgically.
The boys delivered at the Rift Valley Provincial General
Hospital to Evelyn Omodho, 27, are identical twins. Surgery at this
stage, the specialists said, is not possible and more time is required
for growth of the body and its organs.
The Siamese twins lay in
their incubator, one asleep and the other staring at lights oblivious of
their situation as curious onlookers watch. Nurses are on standby to
attend to them.
After extensive tests and scans carried out
throughout the week, the Siamese twins were found to share kidneys, a
liver, colon and bladder.
They also share a ribcage, abdomen, male
genitalia and legs. Each twin, however, has his own heart with single
blood circulation.
KNH Chief Executive Richard Lesiyampe said one of the hearts is fully functional, while the other is incomplete.
The
boys also have separate small intestines that merge to join the large
intestines in the abdomen. Their distraught mother declined to talk to
journalists and sought privacy in the company of her husband.
Mr Lesiyampe nevertheless assured she is also receiving counselling, and medical attention to help heal her caesarean wound.
“The
mother is recuperating well and the hospital will continue with
counselling because under the circumstances she may go into shock.
She also has high expectations that the twins will be separated and be normal,” the hospital’s chief executive explained.
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