Brazilian conjoined twins who shared fused brains have been successfully separated after 33 hours of operations.
Bernardo and Arthur Lima, both nearly 4 years old, underwent at least seven surgeries in Rio de Janeiro, with Dr. Noor ul Owase Jeelani providing guidance from London’s Great Ormond Street Hospital.
The last two surgeries to separate the boys with joined brains (known as craniopagus twins) took 33 hours to complete and required the assistance of over 100 medical professionals.
Before the delicate treatment started in real life, surgeons practiced various techniques for months in virtual reality.
Dr. Gabriel Mufarrej, the head of surgery at Instituto Estadual do Cerebro Paulo Niemeyer, was also supervising the surgery along with Dr. Jeelani. The UK-based pediatric surgeon described the operation as a “remarkable achievement.”
Dr. Jeelani said: “The successful separation of Bernardo and Arthur is a remarkable achievement by the team in Rio and a fantastic example of why the work of Gemini Untwined is so valuable.
“Not only have we provided a new future for the boys and their family, we have equipped the local team with the capabilities and confidence to undertake such complex work successfully again in the future.
“It is through this process of teamwork and knowledge-sharing globally that we can hope to improve the outcome for all children and families that find themselves in this difficult position.
“This is only possible through generous donations from members of the public.”
Freeing Bernardo and Arthur from one another was one of the most complex separation processes ever completed, and many surgeons did not think it would be possible.
Since the twins are almost four years old, they are also the oldest craniopagus twins with a fused brain to have been separated.
Dr. Mufarrej said that the parents of the boys came to the Brazilian hospital two and a half years ago. “They had become part of our family in the hospital,” he added.
Gemini Untwined, a charity founded by Mr. Jeelani, helped the boys’ parents raise funds for the surgery. The charity said separating Bernardo and Arthur was one of the most complex separation processes ever completed, adding that many surgeons did not even think it possible.
Both twins are recovering well in hospital and will be supported with six months of rehabilitation, the charity has said.
According to Gemini figures, one in 60,000 births results in conjoined twins, and only 5% of these are craniopagus children.