Smiley conjoined twin girls have arrived in Hungary to begin their separation.
Two-year-old Rabeya and Rokayah, born at a clinic in Pabna, Bangladesh, in July 2016, will have a series of procedures in Hungary and back in their home country.
The series of operations for their separation has been dubbed “Operation Freedom” and they are being looked after by the Hungarian team of Action for Defenceless People Foundation.
Rabeya and Rokayah arrived in the European country on Saturday for diagnostic and preparatory examinations needed for the final operation which plans to separate their skull.
They will have special plastic surgery which involves the implantation of ’tissue expanders’.
A spokesman for the Hungarian Action for Defenceless People Foundation said: “The first step of the three-stage surgery series, the separation of the conjoined vascular system of the twins’ brains, was carried out successfully with a so-called endovascular method by Dr. Istvan Hudak, neurosurgeon, during two operations at Dhaka Medical College Department of Plastic Surgery and Neurosurgery in Bangladesh in February and August 2018.
“The arrival of the twins to Hungary was preceded by serious consideration, which resulted in the conclusion that the procedure of the expander insertion must be carried out under the best conditions from the medical point of view, using the most effective tools and devices possible.”
He added: “The plastic surgical part of the operation is coordinated by Dr. Gergely Pataki, Hungarian plastic surgeon along with a team of plastic surgeons from Dhaka Medical College.
“The “major surgery” of the final separation of the brain and skull will be led by Dr. Andras Csokay PhD, neurosurgeon of the Foundation, and that must be prepared by thorough examinations.”
Surgeons had previously warned they would have to wait two years before making a final decision on going ahead with the risky procedure.
Parents Taslima Khatun Uno and Mohammed, both teachers, didn’t learn that the twins were conjoined until after their birth.
They were delivered by caesarean and spent two weeks in intensive care.
Taslima said: “For their future it’s necessary to separate the girls – they are not having a healthy life.
“If I don’t separate them now maybe in future they will ask why I didn’t separate them?”
source: Mirror