Odisha: Surgery that separated conjoined twins features in Limca Books of Records

A  successful craniopagus surgery that separated two conjoined twins has found a place in Limca Book of Records. The surgery was performed in 2017 on conjoined twins Jaga and Kalia hailing from Odisha's Kandhamal district, at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi. The surgery was headed by neurosurgeons Prof Ashok Kumar Mahapatra and Dr Deepak Kumar Gupta with a team of 125 doctors and paramedical staff. 

'First successful craniopagus surgery in India'

The surgery was recorded as the first craniopagus surgery in India in the record book and was conducted in two stages, first on August 28, 2017, and then on October 25, 2017. "It was not an easy task. Those were restless days and sleepless night, because, it was a surgical separation of two brains. These twins shared not only brains with each other but they also were sharing their blood circulation with each other," Dr Deepak Kumar Gupta earlier said. 

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The first case of vein granting in the world

The surgery was also recorded as the first case of vein granting in the world, as a vein taken from the vein bank at the AIIMS was grafted in Kalia's brain as the children shared only one vein. "Congratulations! We are happy to inform you that your record is featured in the 2020 edition of Limca Book of Records," an e-mail sent to Doctor Kumar Gupta by Limca Book of Record Editorial Executive Tresa Benjamin, said.

Doctor Mahapatra said, the Doctors also consulted Prof James T Goodrich, a New York-based paediatric neurosurgeon, who has conducted two such surgeries and is considered an expert in this field in the world and only 12-13 such surgeries have been performed in the world. The twins are currently in hospital and have spent two years in AIIMS Delhi, the doctors suggest they have to give the twins two or three years to track their progress. 

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