In brief
Doctors successfully remove rare underdeveloped twin, sparking hope for the future.
In a remarkable surgical feat, doctors in Delhi, India, have operated on a 17-year-old boy, removing a parasitic twin attached to his abdomen. Parasitic twins, characterized by their dependency on the host for survival, are exceedingly rare, with fewer than one case per 100,000 births. This teenager's parasitic twin featured fully formed limbs and a pelvis, with clusters of blood vessels sustaining it. Led by Dr. Asuri Krishna at AIIMS Hospital, the surgery entailed identifying how entangled the twin was with the host. The parasitic twin, weighing nearly 15 kg, was directly linked to the teen's breastbone and received blood from a chest artery, but did not connect with vital organs like the liver or kidneys. Medical professionals faced challenges due to the patient's age, as most documented cases involved younger children. After conducting scans to understand the relationship between the twins, the surgical team, which included radiologists and plastic surgeons, performed the procedure in two phases, first detaching the parasitic twin and subsequently removing a cyst from the surrounding area. Complications arose when the teen's blood pressure dropped dangerously as a significant portion of his blood supply was diverted to the parasitic twin. Thankfully, the team was prepared, promptly stabilizing the patient. After four days post-surgery, he was discharged in good health and without complications. Prior to the operation, the teenager faced stigma and isolation, leading him to drop out of school and experience mental health struggles due to the unwanted attention caused by his unusual appearance. Now, he looks forward to leading an active life. "A new world has opened up to me," he expressed, inspired to continue his education and seek employment.
