In a groundbreaking medical accomplishment, surgeons at the National Institute of Child Health (NICH) successfully separated two-month-old conjoined twins, Naila and Shumaila, from Naushahro Feroze.
The intricate procedure, which took 10 to 12 hours, was performed by a multidisciplinary team of 10 medical professionals, including four highly skilled surgeons from leading medical institutions in Karachi, health officials revealed on Monday.
The twins, born on September 10, were joined at the abdomen and shared sections of their internal organs. Their parents, facing severe financial constraints, could not afford the surgery. However, the NICH administration covered all expenses, ensuring the family bore no financial burden.
Dr. Nasir Suddle, NICH Executive Director, credited the operation’s success to teamwork. “This was a highly challenging procedure, but the combined expertise of specialists from NICH, the Sindh Institute of Child Health and Neonatology, the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, Aga Khan University Hospital, and other private medical experts made it possible,” he stated.
The twins’ grandmother expressed profound gratitude: “We had no resources to pay for the surgery, but everyone, especially the doctors, supported us. We are deeply thankful for their efforts to save our girls.”
Extensive planning preceded the operation, with weeks of preoperative evaluations and rehearsals conducted to ensure the surgery’s success, according to health officials.
Conjoined twins are an exceptionally rare phenomenon, occurring in approximately one in 250,000 live births worldwide, making their separation a formidable medical challenge.
Dr. Suddle confirmed that both twins are stable and recovering well. Post-operative care and monitoring continue to ensure a smooth recovery and prevent complications.
This remarkable achievement underscores the growing capabilities of pediatric surgery in Pakistan, showcasing the expertise and collaboration of local medical professionals in addressing complex medical cases.
