- Title: ITALY: FEMALE GREEK TWINS JOINED TOGETHER SURVIVE AN OPERATION TO SERERATE THEM
- Date: 14th October 2003
- Summary: (U4) ROME, ITALY (OCTOBER 14, 2003) (REUTERS) 1. SLV/SV/CU EXTERIOR OF HOSPITAL/ PRESS CONFERENCE HELD AT POLICLINICO GEMELLI, THE HOSPITAL WHERE THE GREEK TWINS UNDERWENT OPERATION (4SHOTS) 0.16 2. CU OF X-RAY SHOWING JOINED TWINS 0.21 3. MCU (Italian) DOCTOR CONCEZIO DI ROCCO, HEAD OF THE MEDICAL TEAM WHO CARRIED OUT THE OPERATION, SAYING: "The twins are fine and they will be able to leave intensive care and be moved to a normal ward of the hospital. This is something that gives us immense pleasure, the biggest achievement is not just that we divided them but they will be able to survive and function normally. 0.50 4. SLV PRESS CONFERENCE 0.55 5. CU OF SLIDE SHOWING X-RAYS OF THE SKULL 1.10 6. MCU (Italian) DOCTOR CONCEZIO DI ROCCO, SAYING: "The brains are apparently normal, they have been compressed for 13 months but they are normal now. I expect the twins to conduct a normal lifestyle in the future, the only complication we could now have would be an infection." 1.35 7. SLV PRESS CONFERENCE 1.37 8. CU OF X-RAY 1.43 9. MCU (Italian) DOCTOR CONCEZIO DI ROCCO, SAYING: "You can see how their eyes orbit were frontally joined and this is the only problem we may have, that is they may loose their sight. In fact if the eye is not used for long periods of time it can loose its function. We managed to preserve the anatomic conditions of the eyeballs and their normal capacity of sight. The little girls had already a sight problem since their eyes were not properly in use for four months." 2.21 10. CU OF X-RAY 2.26 11. SV OF CONFERENCE 2.29 12. MCU (Italian) DOCTOR CONCEZIO DI ROCCO, SAYING: "The twins were really cute the morning after the operation when they woke up. One was feeling better than the other and was putting her hand into her sisters mouth. Additionally when they woke up they were looking for each other and this gave us a great sense of relief and pleasure." 2.52 13. SV END OF PRESS CONFERENCE 2.58 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 29th October 2003 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: ROME, ITALY
- Country: Italy
- Reuters ID: LVA85A9NRNRP33R6BEOPHHGOFVRC
- Story Text: Female Greek twins survive a rare 12-hour
operation at Policlinico Agostino Gemelli hospital in Italy.
Female Greek twins joined at the head and separated
during a rare 12-hour operation, are well and ready to
leave intensive care, doctors said Tuesday (October 14).
A team of Italian doctors separated the four-month-old
twins joined together by the left lateral part of the skull
in a operation that took place on Sunday.
The twins will be moved from intensive care to a normal
ward of the hospital.
At a news conference at the private hospital,
Policlinico Agostino Gemelli in Rome, Doctor Concezio di
Rocco, head of the medical team who carried out the
operation, said he is pleased with the twins' progress.
"This is something that gives us immense pleasure, the
biggest achievement is not just that we divided them but
they will be able to survive and function normally."
The operation took place at the private Policlinico
Agostino Gemelli in Rome where the twins were joined by the
eyeball and the left lateral side of the skull.
"The brains are apparently normal, they have been
compressed for 13 months but they are normal now. I expect
the twins to conduct a normal life style in the future, the
only complication we could now have would be an infection,"
Di Rocco said.
Another concern is that the twin girls may have problems
with their eye sight.
"You can see how their eyes orbit were frontally joined
and this is the only problem we may have, that is they may
loose their sight. In fact if the eye is not used for long
periods of time it can loose its function. We managed to
preserve the anatomic conditions of the eyeballs and their
normal capacity of sight. The little girls had already a
sight problem since their eyes were not properly in use for
four months," Rocco explained.
They twins appeared in good form the following morning
to the medical team.
"The twins were really cute the morning after the
operation when they woke up. One was feeling better than
the other and was putting her hand into her sisters mouth.
Additionally when they woke up they were looking for each
other and this gave us a great sense of relief and
pleasure," added Di Rocco.
The surgery was the second high profile operation on
conjoined twins in a week. In Dallas, Texas Saturday, two
Egyptian brothers, also joined at the head, were separated.
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