For Tanzanian pygopagus twins Ericana and Eluidi, their first birthday here today would be memorable for its been two months since they were successfully separated at a private hospital in the city.
The fifth pygopagus twin (with fusion at the buttocks) in the world and the first to be separated in the country, the two were separated on December 16 last year at Apollo Speciality Hospitals at Vanagaram here, where they have been recovering.
The twins were three months old, when their mother Grace came to Chennai from her native Kasumulu in Western Tanzania for treatment.
Her nine-month stay in Chennai turned fruitful after a team of 20 doctors successfully separated the twins after a 18-hour-long surgery, Dr Sripathi, a member of the team of doctors looking after the twins, said.
Conjoined twins are reported one in 2,00,000 deliveries. While over 60 per cent of them are stillborn, 35 per cent of the remaining die within a few days or months of the birth due to various causes.
Conjoined twins can be joined at the chest, abdomen, back, buttock and head. Fusion at the buttocks is very rare and accounts for less than 17 per cent of all conjoined twins, the hospital said.
