Conjoined twins surgery

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Conjoined twins are two babies who are born physically connected to each other. Conjoined twins develop when an early embryo only partially separates to form two individuals. They will remain physically connected … Read More

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Conjoined twins surgery

Conjoined twins are two babies who are born physically connected to each other. Conjoined twins develop when an early embryo only partially separates to form two individuals. They will remain physically connected as follows:

Chest: Twins are joined face to face at the chest. They often have a shared heart.

Abdomen: Twins are joined near the bellybutton & share the liver. Some share the lower part of the small intestine (ileum) and colon.

Base of spine: Twins are commonly joined back to back at the base of the spine and the buttocks. Some twins share the lower gastrointestinal tract, and the genital and urinary organs.

Length of spine: Twins are joined back to back along the length of the spine.

Pelvis: Twins are joined at the pelvis, either face to face or end to end. Many twins share the lower gastrointestinal tract, as well as the liver and genital and urinary tract organs.

Trunk: Twins are joined side to side at the pelvis and part or all of the abdomen and chest, but with separate heads.

Head: Twins are joined at the back, top or side of the head, but not the face. But their brains are usually separate, though they may share some brain tissue.

Head and chest: Twins are joined at the face and upper body. The faces are on opposite sides of a single shared head, and they share a brain.

Advances in surgery has increased the chances of survival.

Symptoms

There are no specific signs or symptoms that indicate a conjoined twin pregnancy. As with other twin pregnancies, the uterus may grow faster than with a single fetus, and there may be more fatigue, nausea and vomiting early in the pregnancy. Conjoined twins can be diagnosed early in the pregnancy using standard ultrasound.

Causes

Conjoined twins develop when an early embryo only partially separates to form two individuals. Although two fetuses will develop from this embryo, they will remain physically connected — most often at the chest, abdomen or pelvis. Conjoined twins may also share one or more internal organs.

FAQ

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