# Iranian Twins Didn't Survive The Surgery **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 8, 2003, 11:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iranian-twins-didnt-survive-the-surgery/186975 "2003-07-08T11:20:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![cadolphin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c37758/32.png) [@cadolphin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cadolphin)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2003, 11:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iranian-twins-didnt-survive-the-surgery/186975/1 "2003-07-08T11:20:52Z")
[Singapore, Iran mourn twins’ deaths](http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/s897720.htm) My prayers go out to their family and friends. ---
**Author:** ![Eats\_Crayons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/278dde/32.png) [@Eats\_Crayons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eats_Crayons)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2003, 11:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iranian-twins-didnt-survive-the-surgery/186975/2 "2003-07-08T11:49:51Z")
Oh, that’s so sad. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Bill\_H](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a5b964/32.png) [@Bill\_H](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_H)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2003, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iranian-twins-didnt-survive-the-surgery/186975/3 "2003-07-08T11:55:30Z")
Very tragic. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2003, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iranian-twins-didnt-survive-the-surgery/186975/4 "2003-07-08T12:00:06Z")
Very sad indeed. I was really hoping it would go well for them. ---
**Author:** ![Ice\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@Ice\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Wolf)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2003, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iranian-twins-didnt-survive-the-surgery/186975/5 "2003-07-08T12:09:20Z")
Such a shame. They tried so very hard. Damn. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2003, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iranian-twins-didnt-survive-the-surgery/186975/6 "2003-07-08T13:06:05Z")
That is so sad—I saw them on the news before the surgery, and they both seemed so bright and smart and optimistic. ---
**Author:** ![Archergal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c89c15/32.png) [@Archergal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Archergal)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2003, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iranian-twins-didnt-survive-the-surgery/186975/7 "2003-07-08T13:14:42Z")
Ya, I was sad to see this too. I’d mentally crossed my fingers for them. Thoughts and best wishes to their families and friends. ---
**Author:** ![OxyMoron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e9a140/32.png) [@OxyMoron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OxyMoron)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2003, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iranian-twins-didnt-survive-the-surgery/186975/8 "2003-07-08T13:50:56Z")
Oh, damn. They just seemed like such lovely people. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2003, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iranian-twins-didnt-survive-the-surgery/186975/9 "2003-07-08T15:05:33Z")
I think we should salute them. They knew the danger and accepted the risk and went ahead anyway. ---
**Author:** ![UrbanChic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9dc877/32.png) [@UrbanChic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UrbanChic)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2003, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iranian-twins-didnt-survive-the-surgery/186975/10 "2003-07-08T15:09:09Z")
After reporting this story, the news anchor remarked that no conjoined twins have survived an attempted separation. Does anyone know if this is true? ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2003, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iranian-twins-didnt-survive-the-surgery/186975/11 "2003-07-08T15:12:53Z")
I believe that would refer to ADULT conjoined twins. Plenty of infants have survived and thrived. ---
**Author:** ![DeVena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dec6dc/32.png) [@DeVena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeVena)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2003, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iranian-twins-didnt-survive-the-surgery/186975/12 "2003-07-08T15:15:02Z")
According to [this,](http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=578&ncid=578&e=1&u=/nm/20030708/ts_nm/health_singapore_twins_dc) "Twins joined at the head occur only once in every two million live births, and successful separation is even rarer. It has never been performed on adults. German doctors turned the Bijanis away in 1996, saying it could prove fatal to separate them. " ---
**Author:** ![UrbanChic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9dc877/32.png) [@UrbanChic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UrbanChic)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2003, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iranian-twins-didnt-survive-the-surgery/186975/13 "2003-07-08T15:17:44Z")
You’re right, Scarlett. I even previewed what I typed and _still_ managed to flub it up! ---
**Author:** ![roadrunner70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e19b73/32.png) [@roadrunner70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/roadrunner70)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2003, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iranian-twins-didnt-survive-the-surgery/186975/14 "2003-07-08T15:20:09Z")
That must’ve been hell, going through life attached like that. I don’t blame them for taking the risk. Too bad it didn’t work. ---
**Author:** ![Zenster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/cdc98d/32.png) [@Zenster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zenster)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2003, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iranian-twins-didnt-survive-the-surgery/186975/15 "2003-07-08T15:30:42Z")
Had I been in their shoes, I’d have taken the risk as well. They were brave young ladies and deserve admiration. How sad. ---
**Author:** ![xejkh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/22d042/32.png) [@xejkh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xejkh)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2003, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iranian-twins-didnt-survive-the-surgery/186975/16 "2003-07-08T15:41:38Z")
It’s very tragic. I’m in Singapore, and their thirst for life was noted by the local press. There seemed to be so much hope, but this has to happen… ---
**Author:** ![AngelicGemma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/439d5e/32.png) [@AngelicGemma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AngelicGemma)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2003, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iranian-twins-didnt-survive-the-surgery/186975/17 "2003-07-08T15:49:14Z")
That’s so sad! I really wanted it to go well for them. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2003, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iranian-twins-didnt-survive-the-surgery/186975/18 "2003-07-08T16:24:05Z")
“For years the answer was always the same: “We’d love to help but it is too dangerous.” German doctors refused in 1996 to operate, warning the operation would most likely kill one or both of the twins, or leave them in a vegetative state. Since similar operations began 50 years ago, four in five attempts at separation have resulted in severe complications for one or both of the twins. The Bijani sisters faced a greater risk as they grew older, with all previous operations to separate conjoined twins taking place when the patients were babies. But the twins’ now famous determination took them to Singapore in November last year after they heard neurosurgeon, Keith Goh, had led a team in 2001 that successfully separated Nepalese babies in a 97-hour operation. Dr Goh initially tried to persuade them not to have the operation because of the high risks involved but eventually their resolve wore him down. “We gave them the risks very bluntly,” Dr Goh told the media last month. “We tried very hard to change their minds because it would be the easiest thing to … but we couldn’t.”” —Hmmm. Sounds like it was doomed from the start. I wonder if they _shouldn’t_ have been talked out of it? Now that I read more about it, it sounds downright suicidal, poor ladies. ---
**Author:** ![green\_bladder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/73ab20/32.png) [@green\_bladder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/green_bladder)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2003, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iranian-twins-didnt-survive-the-surgery/186975/19 "2003-07-08T16:36:31Z")
That’s terrible… ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Tiger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6de8d8/32.png) [@Mama\_Tiger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Tiger)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2003, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iranian-twins-didnt-survive-the-surgery/186975/20 "2003-07-08T16:37:40Z")
It’s really sad. Ultimately, though, I do believe it was their decision to make, knowing fully the risks involved. And what if it had succeeded? They would have made medical history and changed the course of the future for not only themselves but other adult conjoined twins. I salute their courage. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iranian-twins-didnt-survive-the-surgery/186975.md?page=2)