KOTA KINABALU: History was made by the Sabah Women and Children’s Hospital in Likas here after it successfully separated a pair of conjoined twins recently.
The surgery, performed on July 2, involved conjoined twin girls, who were born prematurely at 32 weeks of gestation.
One of the twins had heart and kidney problems.
Typically such procedures are performed when babies are between four and six months old.
Due to the health condition of one of the girls, the surgery had to be expedited.
Both girls are reported to be in stable condition.
According to a statement by the Sabah Health Department on Facebook, the girls were pygopagus conjoined twins, meaning they were joined at the lower abdomen, involving the digestive and reproductive organs.
The successful surgery was made possible through the collaborative efforts of multidisciplinary medical teams and support personnel, including specialists from Peninsular Malaysia.
Both girls are under observation at the hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit, the department added.
It said the achievement was a clear sign of the hospital’s dedication and commitment to providing the best services to patients, particularly children with complex congenital anomalies.
With the growing number of specialists in Sabah, children with complex congenital anomalies can gain better access to care and treatment locally, instead of having to seek treatment elsewhere.
This will help reduce the emotional, financial and logistical burdens on parents and the patients themselves.
