# 27 hour surgery to separate conjoned twins. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 14, 2016, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/27-hour-surgery-to-separate-conjoned-twins/768545 "2016-10-14T19:44:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2016, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/27-hour-surgery-to-separate-conjoned-twins/768545/1 "2016-10-14T19:44:21Z")
[Conjoined twins separated](http://www.cnn.com/2016/10/14/health/conjoined-twins-separation-surgery/) > [@](#): > > After 27 hours of surgery, twin boys Anias and Jadon McDonald – born joined at the head 13 months ago – began a new life apart on Friday. > The round-the-clock operation at the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx began Thursday morning and ended Friday. The separation procedure itself lasted 16 hours, followed by more hours of surgery to rebuild their skulls and make them whole. > [@](#): > > The surgery was led by Dr. James Goodrich, considered the leading expert on what’s known as craniopagus surgery. > It marked the seventh and longest separation surgery performed by Goodrich – and just the 59th craniopagus separation surgery in the world since 1952. Because they shared a small portion of brain, they had undergone 3 previous operations to begin the separation process. ---
**Author:** ![buddha\_david](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@buddha\_david](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buddha_david)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2016, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/27-hour-surgery-to-separate-conjoned-twins/768545/2 "2016-10-14T20:10:14Z")
[Separating Siamese twins is a long and costly procedure.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GcJsgqfxU8&t=72) ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2016, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/27-hour-surgery-to-separate-conjoned-twins/768545/3 "2016-10-16T19:13:45Z")
I feel for the kids but honestly if these are kids born to first world parents they knew during the pregnancy they had this horrific issue going on and decided to carry these babies to term regardless. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2016, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/27-hour-surgery-to-separate-conjoned-twins/768545/4 "2016-10-16T19:38:14Z")
Depending on the location, access to medical care, ideology, local laws… they may have known it at a point in which the abortion would have been illegal. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2016, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/27-hour-surgery-to-separate-conjoned-twins/768545/5 "2016-10-16T19:50:57Z")
How long before they know if there’s brain damage? Can they tell with babies? Do they have to wait until they start talking to find out if they’ll be ok? ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2016, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/27-hour-surgery-to-separate-conjoned-twins/768545/6 "2016-10-16T20:46:17Z")
> [@astro](#): > > I feel for the kids but honestly if these are kids born to first world parents they knew during the pregnancy they had this horrific issue going on and decided to carry these babies to term regardless. May I ask, what is the point of your statement? Do you mean the parents should have known, and had the boys aborted? Or do you lack sympathy because the parents brought this on themselves by having the mom carry them to term? ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2016, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/27-hour-surgery-to-separate-conjoned-twins/768545/7 "2016-10-16T20:50:00Z")
They may not have wanted to abort either, for any number of reasons. It’s a decision only they can make. There was a couple in my old town who found out they were having conjoined twins at 13 weeks’ gestation, and they never considered abortion. These twins were joined at the abdomen; one baby appeared to be normal except for his brother being attached to him, and as they got bigger, they were finding out more and more things wrong with the other baby. ☹ In the end, the babies died in utero the day before they were scheduled to be born. I just hope that the boys go on to have normal or near-normal lives. Most of the craniopagus twins who have been separated have had at least one who had varying degrees of disability. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2016, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/27-hour-surgery-to-separate-conjoned-twins/768545/8 "2016-10-16T20:54:05Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > How long before they know if there’s brain damage? Can they tell with babies? > > Do they have to wait until they start talking to find out if they’ll be ok? If it’s very severe, they may have known before they left the OR. Lesser degrees may not show up for months or even years. In 1987, Dr. Carson (yes, the presidential candidate) did a separation on two German boys who were conjoined at the sides and back of their heads. Afterwards, there was basically a media blackout but over time, it did get out that both boys were left severely disabled. Here’s a story that goes into more detail. [https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/the-story-of-the-surgery-that-made-ben-carson-famous--and-its-complicated-aftermath/2015/11/13/15b5f900-88c1-11e5-be39-0034bb576eee\_story.html](https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/the-story-of-the-surgery-that-made-ben-carson-famous--and-its-complicated-aftermath/2015/11/13/15b5f900-88c1-11e5-be39-0034bb576eee_story.html) ---
**Author:** ![gracer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8e7dd6/32.png) [@gracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gracer)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2016, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/27-hour-surgery-to-separate-conjoned-twins/768545/9 "2016-10-16T21:16:03Z")
When you see the way they were conjoined it is so hard to imagine them fitting in a womb. Boggles the mind! :eek: > [@aceplace57](#): > > How long before they know if there’s brain damage? Can they tell with babies? > > Do they have to wait until they start talking to find out if they’ll be ok? IME, which is not with conjoined twins, this can be quite difficult to predict. Sometimes you might damage a spot that we know does a really specific thing and that can’t be compensated for some other way. But so many brain bits can be compensated for, especially at such a young age, I’d think. I had a friend who had 4 big brain surgeries as an adult after which he wasn’t supposed to be able to do tons of things and doctors were bloody wrong there. “He’ll never do this again, he’ll never do that again” - they were wrong about almost everything except really clear stuff, like hormones. Then there might be small things in their personality that could be brain damage or could just be personality and you’ll never really know. Doctors kept telling my friend that impulsivity was the result of his brain damage and we had to keep telling them that he had been insanely impulsive his whole life. They even tried pathologise the way he cooks. It’s the way he cooks, nothing wrong with it. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2016, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/27-hour-surgery-to-separate-conjoned-twins/768545/10 "2016-10-17T01:34:25Z")
> [@astro](#): > > I feel for the kids but honestly if these are kids born to first world parents they knew during the pregnancy they had this horrific issue going on and decided to carry these babies to term regardless. I’ve seen interviews with the parents. The father had slight misgivings about carrying them to term, but the mother never had any doubt. She’s a pediatric physical therapist, and extremely loving and nurturing. Both parents knew exactly what they were getting into, and were well prepared for all the challenges. Those kids are in the best of hands, no matter what the outcome. ---
**Author:** ![bobkitty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c67d28/32.png) [@bobkitty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobkitty)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2016, 10:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/27-hour-surgery-to-separate-conjoned-twins/768545/11 "2016-10-17T10:44:11Z")
The docs are acknowledging that one twin (Anias, IIRC) will have significantly more issues, but they feel the issues will mostly center around mobility. This is due to the location of the connection- at the back of the head, away from a lot of the important brain bits. That they are 13 months old and have never sat up/crawled/walked is something they’ll need to overcome as well, but everyone seems to be on the same page as far as “this is a marathon, not a sprint.” ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2016, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/27-hour-surgery-to-separate-conjoned-twins/768545/12 "2016-10-18T20:18:00Z")
jadon started to move his left side! anias has opened his eyes! anias has had more heath issues than jadon before the operation, he has had heart and eating issues, also seizures. after the operation he has had more seizures. poor tyke is going to have a long road ahead. he does respond to his mum. his heart rate and bp calm when she is with him. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2016, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/27-hour-surgery-to-separate-conjoned-twins/768545/13 "2016-10-18T20:36:01Z")
Scary stuff. In 2003 [Two Iranian sisters died shortly after being separated.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ladan_and_Laleh_Bijani) To separate, or not? Tough decision. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2016, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/27-hour-surgery-to-separate-conjoned-twins/768545/14 "2016-10-20T04:52:18Z")
Here’s an update from today. TL : DR - They were headed back into surgery today to have their dressings changed in a sterile environment. It might help if I posted a link. :o > **[Formerly conjoined 13-month-old twins slowly improving after surgery](https://wgntv.com/news/formerly-conjoined-twins-slowly-improving-less-than-one-week-after-surgery/)** > > BRONX, NY — Less than a week after surgery to separate them, formerly conjoined twins are steadily showing signs of improvement. The 13-month-old boys are recovering in separate beds allowing… ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2019, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/27-hour-surgery-to-separate-conjoned-twins/768545/15 "2019-12-04T02:11:52Z")
> [@bobkitty](#): > > The docs are acknowledging that one twin (Anias, IIRC) will have significantly more issues, but they feel the issues will mostly center around mobility. This is due to the location of the connection- at the back of the head, away from a lot of the important brain bits. That they are 13 months old and have never sat up/crawled/walked is something they’ll need to overcome as well, but everyone seems to be on the same page as far as “this is a marathon, not a sprint.” I found this zombie thread while looking up something else, and was curious as to how they were doing now. The prediction was correct; Anias had and continues to have major complications, while Jadon seems to be doing quite well although he still wears a protective helmet. [https://www.cnn.com/2019/01/01/health/conjoined-twins-jadon-and-anias-update/index.html](https://www.cnn.com/2019/01/01/health/conjoined-twins-jadon-and-anias-update/index.html) ---
**Author:** ![MLS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MLS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MLS)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2019, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/27-hour-surgery-to-separate-conjoned-twins/768545/16 "2019-12-04T05:01:32Z")
Amazing! Thanks for the update!