health

The treatment of conjoined twins is highly individualized. It almost
always requires complicated surgery in one of a small number of medical
centers (three in the United States, one in the United Kingdom,
one in New Zealand, and one in South Africa). Doctors classify conjoined
twins for treatment in one of three categories: those who will die
shortly after birth; those who require immediate emergency surgery;
and those who will survive until they are old enough for surgery to have
a higher chance of success (usually six to twelve months). Twins who
share a heart or brain usually cannot be separated without causing the
death of both twins.
Conjoined twins are usually delivered by cesarean section rather
than waiting for the mother’s due date. The operation is usually scheduled
for two to four weeks before the due date. Surgery to separate the
twins may be performed immediately after delivery if one or both twins
have a life-threatening emergency. These operations are complicated
and may take as long as thirty-five hours to complete. Two complete
surgical teams are required to care for the twins after the separation is
complete. In most cases, conjoined twins who survive separation will
need further surgery at intervals during childhood.