Kota Kinabalu: The Hospital Wanita dan Kanak-Kanak Sabah separated conjoined twins with a rare Pygopagus condition on July 2, marking a historic achievement for the hospital.
The surgery took place at the hospital’s Main Operating Theatre.
The State Health Department, in a statement Monday, said Pygopagus conjoined twins refer to babies joined at the sacrum and neural tube, the area below the digestive tract and reproductive organs.
The twin girls, from an interior district in the State, were born prematurely at 32 weeks.
One of the twins had a heart condition and kidney failure, requiring the separation surgery to be carried out at just 28 days old, far earlier than the usual timing of four to six months for such procedures.
The operation involved a multidisciplinary team of specialists, including experts from Peninsular Malaysia, comprising neonatology, anaesthesiology, paediatric surgery, neurosurgery, plastic and reconstructive surgery and radiology teams, along with nursing staff and other clinical support personnel.
Both twins are now in stable condition, currently under observation at the hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.
The Health Department said the success of the surgery reflected the dedication and commitment of the hospital’s staff in providing the best possible care for paediatric patients with complex congenital anomalies.
With the expansion of such specialised expertise in Sabah, children suffering from complex congenital conditions can now receive faster access to treatment, while easing the emotional, financial and logistical burden on families.
