Five-month-old Siamese twins Michael and Mark are in stable condition after being surgically separated on Friday afternoon, it was reported on September 15. The operation was carried out in two stages, with the first lasting 14 hours. The boys, who were born connected at the chest, are currently being cared for at the Children's Anesthesiology and Intensive Medicine Clinic in the Bratislava Faculty Hospital in the borough of Kramáre.
According to operation team member Professor Jaroslav Siman, both boys' hearts are functioning well, and they are currently on respirators. As for their separated livers, which presented the main danger, these haven't indicated any malfunction, and laboratory tests have shown them to be healthy. Mark's kidneys, also a cause of concern, are being supported by medication and are functioning very well.
The operation was made easier because the boy's hearts were only "stuck" together rather than being more closely interlinked. On the other hand, there are still concerns over Mark's heart, both boy's lungs, a limited flow of blood to the livers, and underdeveloped blood vessels in general. The team of surgeons have stressed that the level of support and trust shown by the parents have been a very important factor. TASR
Compiled by Zuzana Vilikovská from press reports
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