Conjoined twins stable after surgery, says AIIMS

New Delhi: The condition of the 28-month-old conjoined twins from Odisha, who underwent an 18-hour-long surgery on Thursday, is stable, said AIIMS doctors. 

The twins — Jaga and Kalia — whose heads were separated on October 26 at AIIMS here, however, continue to be in the ICU and their condition is being monitored by a team of experts round the clock, said Dr AK Mahapatra, the chief of the neurosciences centre at AIIMS.

He added that they are getting blood transfusions and their condition is stable. A team of 30 doctors from various departments, including neurosurgery, neuro-anesthesia, and paediatrics, undertook the second phase of the surgery, which was India’s first craniopagus surgery. 

Dr Deepak Kumar Gupta, a neurosurgeon at AIIMS who led the surgery along with Dr Mahapatra, said that Jaga is on intermittent hemodialysis and his kidney function is improving.

“One of the twins is on intermittent hemodialysis, which means he is undergoing dialysis once a day. His kidney function is improving, but the heart function is still low,” Dr Gupta said.

The vital parameters of the other twin, Kalia, are normal. However, he is yet to gain consciousness and is under observation, the doctor said. Randeep Guleria, the director of AIIMS, had earlier said that though the twins have been separated, the next 18 days would be extremely critical.