Conjoined twins successfully separated
MOM of previously conjoined twins Ntombikayise Tyhalisi said she could not stop crying while her babies were undergoing separation surgery.
Three-month-old Siphosethu and Amahle were born in the Eastern Cape and brought to the Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital at only a few days old.
Joined at the head, the twins were successfully separated by a multidisciplinary team in February. A full set of specialists – comprising an anaesthetist, neurosurgeon, plastic surgeon and nurses – were teamed for each baby during the operation.
“I gave birth on the 30th of January in Gcuwa (Butterworth). There I was told that my babies were joined and I was rushed to East London. I stayed there with them for a week.
“Then I was sent to Cape Town. While my children were in surgery I was crying a lot, I did not have hope but the nurses told me to be strong and reassured me that everything will be fine,” 31-year-old Tyhalisi said.
Professor Tony Figaji, head of paediatric neurosurgery at Red Cross hospital, said the twins were joined at the head in what is medically referred to as “craniopagus twinning”.
“It's the rarest form of conjoined twinning,” Figaji said.
“Craniopagus twins occur approximately once in every 2.5 million live births worldwide.We were fortunate in this case that the connection did not involve any shared brain tissue and didn't involve major (blood) vessels going from one twin to the other.”
Tyhalisi said she was overjoyed as she was not expecting to leave holding her children one in each arm.
“When I was told my babies were fine, I was very happy. The nurses came out with them, singing. It was a joyful moment. I am now back at home in Idutywa.
“I want to thank East London nurses who looked after me and gave me clothes because when I arrived at the hospital I did not have clothes for the children.”