Separated co-joined twins healthy, discharged- UATH

University of Abuja Teaching Hospital (UATH) has said that the set of co-joined twins separated by the hospital on October 29, 2018 are in healthy condition and have been discharged home.

Speaking on Friday in Gwagwalada during the monthly clinical continuing education of the hospital, Dr Eyinade Olateju of the Department of Paediatrics department said that the operation which was carried out on October 29, 2018 was successful and were subsequently discharged since November 23.

Olateju said, “We were not in a hurry to discharge them because we wanted to monitor their vital signs and ensure that they could breastfeed well.

“We monitored their vital signs and ensured that the breast milk is safe for them. We are happy that they were each weighing 6.2 kg at the point of discharge’’.

Also, Dr Samson Olori, Lead Surgeon in the operation said keeping the babies alive and strong was a challenge because they were delivered through a caesarian section.

“The babies did not have immediate maternal care, so we had the challenge of feeding them and ensuring that they were nourished before surgery; as well as the challenge of malaria and other infections.

“We were however, able to overcome all the challenges,” he said.

Olori said that medical investigations and X-ray were immediately commenced to know the organs that were joined.

He explained that preparations for the surgery only started after laboratory findings had shown that the babies were fit for the operation.

“A medical team consisting of paediatric surgeons, plastic surgeon, anesthetic doctors, peril operation nurses and paediatric nurses were assembled.

“The team was divided into two groups to ensure that the babies were given attention simultaneously after the surgery that lasted for about four hours,” he said.