Successful surgical separation of conjoined twins: First experience in Rwanda

Abstract

Conjoined twins are identical or monozygotic twins whose bodies are joined in utero. Pygopagus or Iliopagus twins are a type of conjoined twins in which two bodies joined back to back at the buttocks. Surgical Separation of conjoined twins is extremely risk of death and life threatening. Female pygopagus twins of three months were been operated and separated at Kigali Teaching University Hospital. For both babies a posterior sagittal anorectoplasty was performed with derivated ileostomy without problem. No complications occurred during the operation, oral feedings was done at third postoperative day. Ileostomy closure was done three weeks after and babies were discharged from neonatology unit at 35th postoperative day. Adequate preoperative investigation with a well organized and trained team contributed a lot to the success of conjoined twins separation.