A team of pediatric surgeons, nurses and junior doctors at Sally Mugabe Central Hospital in Harare successfully separated non-identical conjoined twins from a two-year-old boy in a delicate four-hour procedure on Tuesday.
After struggling to get help at other hospitals, the family of the two-year-old boy from Beitbridge finally found the treatment he needed, freeing him from his “parasitic” twin.
Parasitic twins are a type of conjoined twins in which one fetus stops developing, but remains attached to its twin. The other twin continues to grow, but is usually born with the limbs, organs, or other tissue structures of the parasitic twin still attached.
In this case, the partially developed conjoined twin had a head, bones, stomach, pancreas and loops from the intestines to the rectum and were combined in the boy’s liver but with a separate gallbladder.
This development comes as the team prepares for a second set of fully developed conjoined twins, which are scheduled to undergo surgery in the coming weeks.
The operation is expected to take about 36 hours, and a team of more than 100 medical specialists will participate, and it is considered a complex and difficult procedure.
“The process took approx
“Four hours later and our young patient is recovering well,” said team leader Dr Kudzai Munanzvi.
“The parasitic twin had what looked like a head, some bones, a stomach, and pancreatic rings from the intestines to the rectum. He also had a liver that was fused to the little boy’s liver but with a separate gallbladder.
“The boy and his family are originally from Beitbridge and were seeking help at local hospitals, but were eventually referred to Bulawayo Central Hospital, where they also did not receive the necessary treatment.
“I think someone suggested they come to Harare, where they were able to get the care they needed,” she said.
Other members of Dr. Munanzvi’s medical team are Dr. Precious Mutambanyengwe, with Dr. Brighton Mucheni serving as an anesthetist, and Sister Memory Zakikaramba and Sister Shangua as nurses.
Among the junior doctors were Dr. Munyaradze Nahari and Dr. Chigova.
The team cooperates to ensure the safety and success of the surgery.
Dr Munanzvi said it took nearly a month to conduct a thorough investigation into what needed to be done.
“From the stomach, pancreas, small intestine, and large intestine, we noticed that the liver of the boy and the parasitic twin were also joined and that the parasitic twin also had a set of lungs but there was no heart.
“We were able to separate all the things that belonged to the parasitic twin and leave what belonged to the little boy in his belly.”
She also revealed that the boy is now recovering, adding that his mother was very excited as there was a lot of stigma around twins.
“The boy is recovering well. He is actually in the ward and not in the ICU. He is feeding and the mother is very happy.
“The mother was very happy because she was facing a lot of challenges with the boy at home. There was a bit of stigma from the surrounding community.
“Right now he is eating, talking and playing. He is a very happy little boy.”
The mother was unable to comment on this development.
This process reflects advances in medical science and the unwavering determination of Zimbabwean healthcare professionals to change lives for the better.
“Separating conjoined twins is always a monumental task but the specialists available in the country have the necessary skill set and experience to ensure a successful outcome.
“The first set of conjoined twins we separated are already in the third grade,” Dr. Munanzvi said.
In 2021, pediatric surgeons in Zimbabwe succeeded in separating three-month-old conjoined twin girls, in a complex operation that lasted 18 hours at Sally Mugabe Central Hospital.
Anotedayesh and Atibaishi were joined in the abdomen and pelvis, sharing the liver and some parts of the intestines, which made the operation complicated.
On 29 July 2014, a team of about 50 local health workers left an indelible mark on the history of the country’s medical sector after successfully separating conjoined twins from Murehwa District in Mashonaland East Province. Announce
