August 06, 2007	Monday	Rajab 21, 1428

LAHORE, Aug 5: Conjoined twins Khaula and Khansa, who were separated two weeks ago in what surgeons say the third such successful operation in the country, have been sent home.

The sisters are in good health and there is no imminent threat to their health as no complication has developed 15 days after the operation that separated their upper part (chest and belly) from each other, says Prof Dr Mohammad Afzal Shaikh, who headed the team of surgeons.

After a thorough investigation, the surgeons allowed the mother of the twins to take them to Gujranwala on Saturday.

Noshin Begum had given birth to the twins on Nov 23 last year. Her husband, a paramedic, wasted no time and brought them to the Children’s Hospital.

Dr Afzal Shaikh conducted the required tests and asked the family to come for regular check-ups as the appropriate time for such a surgery would be when the twins reached the age between nine and 12 months, provided no complication developed during the period.

On July 23, the seven-member team comprising cardiac surgeon and physician, general pediatric surgeon, pediatric physician, radiologist anesthetist and social medical officer, headed by Prof Shaikh, operated upon the twins after they suffered diarrhoea.

The operation lasted four hours and the twins were kept for 48 hours in the ICU and then shifted to the high dependency for monitoring.

They were given oral feed from the third day of the operation and on the fifth day all medications were stopped and they were discharged from the hospital on Aug 4, Prof Afzal Shaikh said.

Noshin Begum told Dawn that her family and she were very confident that the twins would now grow and lead a normal life. Besides the twins, the couple has three sons and a daughter. Two of them are school-going. The hospital administration did not invite the media to cover the breakthrough on the request of the twins’ mother.