IRAN: ONE IRANIAN TWIN DIED AFTER TWO DAYS OF UNPRECEDENTED SURGERY TO SEPERATE HER SKULL AND BRAIN FROM HER TWIN SISTER

Record ID: 646157

  • Title: IRAN: ONE IRANIAN TWIN DIED AFTER TWO DAYS OF UNPRECEDENTED SURGERY TO SEPERATE HER SKULL AND BRAIN FROM HER TWIN SISTER
  • Date: 8th July 2003
  • Summary: (W3) SINGAPORE (JULY 8, 2003) (REUTERS- ACCESS ALL) SV (English) DR. PREM KUMAR NAIR, GENERAL MANAGER FOR CORPORATE SERVICES, RAFFLES MEDICAL GROUP: "I'm afraid I do not have very good news for you. Raffles Hospital regrets to inform you that Ladan Bijani passed away a few minutes ago. As the separation was coming to a close, a lot of blood was lost. Despite the best efforts of the medical team, the twins were subsequently in a critical state. Doctors attempted to stabilize her but her condition continued to deteriorate. Laleh meanwhile is critically ill and doctors are still trying to stabilize her. Thank you very much."/DR NAIR LEAVING SV ZOHRA SALEHINIA, CLOSE FRIEND OF TWINS CRYING
  • Embargoed: 23rd July 2003 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: SINGAPORE AND VARIOUS LOCATIONS, IRAN
  • Country: Iran, Islamic Republic of
  • Topics: Health
  • Reuters ID: LVA6B7E3XGR9BRN56P40LB4UDK3F
  • Story Text: One Iranian twin died after two days of unprecedented surgery to separate her skull and brain from her twin sister, who is still in critical condition.
    Dr Prem Kumar Nair, a spokesman for Singapore's Raffles Hospital where the operation was under way, said on Tuesday (July 7) Ladan Bijani had died due to the loss of blood.
    "I'm afraid I do not have very good news for you. Raffles Hospital regrets to inform you that Ladan Bijani past away a few minutes ago. As the separation was coming to a close, a lot of blood was lost. Despite the best efforts of the medical team, the twins were subsequently in a critical state. Doctors attempted to stabilize her but her condition continued to deteriorate. Laleh meanwhile is critically ill and doctors are still trying to stabilize her. Thank you very much," said Dr. Nair.
    After the separation of the skull and brains of Iranian twins fused at the head, Ladan Bijani, the weaker of the two died leaving her sister in critical conditon. The separation took longer than expected but doctors are still trying their best to save Laleh Bijani.
    The critical stage of the unprecedented operation involved opening up the women's combined skulls and then severing blood vessels and veins around their brains.
    It started at 5 pm local time (0900 GMT) on Monday (July 7) and had been scheduled for completion in ten hours, but finished three hours earlier than expected.
    The post separation period is the most crucial. The fluctuating blood pressure and loss of blood has put the twins in an unstable condition.
    The first stage of the operation had already taken longer than expected because the bone where the twins are joined was thick and compact.
    After the skulls were opened, surgeons began creating a bypass using a vein harvested earlier from Ladan's right thigh. This vein is used to duplicate a shared major blood vessel between the two brains so the skull can be split.
    The Iranian community in Singapore have strongly supported the twins since they first arrived in November last year - reflecting the intense interest in the operation back in Iran.
    The operation has drawn worldwide media attention. On Monday (July 7), Iranian President Mohammad Khatami pledged to cover the cost of the operation which is estimated to cost about 300,000 U.S. dollars.
    Scores of family and friends were anxiously awaiting the outcome of the dangerous surgery, including the twins' elderly parents in Iran and friends in Singapore.
    Supporters have been holding a prayer vigil at the hospital since surgery began around midday (0400 GMT) on Sunday.
    The high chance of fatality for one or both sisters -- historically four in five such operations have left one or both of the twins with severe complications like brain damage or in a vegetative state -- has raised ethical concerns.
    German doctors turned away the twins in 1996, saying splitting them could prove fatal. But the Bijanis were determined to lead separate lives and persuaded Singapore doctors to carry out the surgery, despite the risks.
    The sisters laughed and joked with friends before the operation began.
    Singapore doctors successfully performed a similar operation in 2001 on infant girls from Nepal, but experts say such surgery on adult twins is unprecedented.
    Twins joined at the head occur only once in every two million live births. Successful separation is very rare.
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