Brazil Conjoined Twins Die After 15-Hour Separation Surgery at Age 2
Updated
Updated · The US Sun · Aug 21
Brazil Conjoined Twins Die After 15-Hour Separation Surgery at Age 2
3 articles · Updated · The US Sun · Aug 21
Summary
Heloísa and Helena, conjoined twins aged 2 years and 7 months, died minutes after a 15-hour separation surgery on August 15 at Hospital das Clínicas in Ribeirão Preto.
Doctors said haemodynamic instability struck just after the girls were fully separated, with one developing low blood pressure and the other high blood pressure before both suffered cardiac arrest.
More than 50 medical and support staff took part in the fifth operation, which followed four earlier procedures over the past year after nearly two years of monitoring.
The first three surgeries had separated about 75% of the twins' shared brain tissue and blood vessels, while the fourth placed tissue expanders to help close their skulls in the final stage.
Their father thanked the medical team despite the outcome, and the hospital said the treatment of the twins—its third craniopagus case—was fully funded by Brazil's public healthcare system.