HTA creates history by successfully separating conjoined twins

SHAH ALAM - Hospital Tunku Azizah, Kuala Lumpur has set a record in the country for successfully conducting surgery to separate premature conjoined twins weighing 2.7 kilogrammes, yesterday (March 19).

The surgery team consist of six paediatric surgeons led by HTA resident paediatric Surgeon Datuk Dr Zakaria and was aided by pediatric anesthesiologists Dr Intan Zarina Fakir Mohamed and Dr Ruwaida Isa, along with 20 nurses and HTA's paediatric surgery staff have led to the twins being successfully separated within 66 minutes with no major complications.

According to Dr Zakaria, the twins face "extrauterine twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome", which prompted the twins to undergo an immediate surgery despite being 17 days old however similar surgeries are usually performed between the ages of three to six months old.

"The male twins that were born in Hospital Raja Permaisuri Bainun (HRPB), Ipoh at 33 weeks old and was referred to HRPB Neonatologist expert Dr Maneet Kaur Ranjuth Singh for further treatment in HTA.

"After discussion between expert HRPB and HTA doctors online at 2 pm last March 15, the decision to conduct the high-risk surgery was achieved,'' he said.

Both babies are in healthy conditions and were sent back to HTA neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) the same day for further care.