Conjoined twins are 'little fighters'

IT'S a tale of two cities, two babies, three hospitals and a single fertilised egg that split to form twins, who refused to separate, leaving them conjoined but doing well.

The infant boys, described as "two little fighters" by their parents, were born in London but are now back in Cork where they are feeding and gaining weight.

Yesterday, the babies' parents issued a statement announcing the twins' births. Born in University College Hospital London, they were transferred to Great Ormond Street's intensive care unit for specialised paediatric care and then home to Ireland to Cork University Maternity Hospital (CUMH) into the care of its neonatal team.

Later this year, all going well, the now six-week-old twins will return to Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital, where surgery to separate them will take place. The Cork connection does not end there, however.

If surgery does go ahead, it's likely to be under the watchful eye and knife of consultant paediatric surgeon Mr Edward Kiely, member of a well-known Cork medical dynasty.

Mr Kiely, a leading paediatric surgeon with vast experience in the separation of conjoined twins, is the brother is of well-known surgeon PE (Paddy) Kiely and first cousin of retired surgeon PB Kiely, formerly of the Mercy University Hospital and the Bon Secours Hospital in Cork.

Yesterday the Great Ormond Street surgeon said: "If all goes according to plan the children will return to Great Ormond Street Hospital later in the year.

"The surgical team here is the most experienced in Europe at assessing and if necessary separating conjoined twins."

The family said they were "very proud of our two little boys" and felt blessed by their arrival. "Presently, they are feeding well and gaining weight. We are planning for the boys to come home soon and we are asking the media and the public to let us enjoy this special time with our two little fighters before their separation later this year," a statement said.

A spokesperson for CUMH said both boys were medically very well and that they were "working closely with the family and Great Ormond Street Hospital with the boys' treatment and clinical care".

Conjoined twins are extremely rare, occurring once in every 200,000 births, when a single fertilised egg splits to form twins but separation is incomplete.

When separation is planned and the children are stable, the survival rate for operations at Great Ormond Street is around 80%.

This story appeared in the printed version of the Irish Examiner Saturday, January 16, 2010

(Edit:Ruby)