Conjoined twins' surgery postponed<\/p>\n
Leony Aurora, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Subari, father of conjoined twins Angie and Angeli from North
\nSumatra, will apparently have to endure the dark waiting room of
\nCipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital's (RSCM) children's intensive
\ncare unit in Central Jakarta for at least two more months.<\/p>\n
Doctors at the hospital had anticipated that surgery to
\nseparate the 4.5-month-old twins could be performed in June, but
\nhave decided to postpone it due to problems in conducting a test.<\/p>\n
\"We have to conduct an arteriographic test, but the smallest
\ncatheter we have is too big for the babies,\" coordinator of
\npublic services at the hospital's children's ward Harry Purwanto
\nsaid on Monday.<\/p>\n
Angie and Angeli are joined from the waist down with one leg
\neach and a third one shared. An arteriographic test is needed to
\nassess the flow in blood vessels to the legs to determine who
\nwill receive the third leg.<\/p>\n
Purwanto said the babies need to weigh at least a total of 10
\nkilograms to have the test. They are currently 7.7 kilograms in
\ntotal and healthy. A normal baby can grow between 150 grams and
\n300 grams in a month, said Purwanto.<\/p>\n
Previous surgeries to separate conjoined twins at the hospital
\nwere performed when the infants concerned were between four and
\nsix months old.<\/p>\n
Discussion on the surgery will be held again early August,
\nsaid Purwanto. \"Some equipment for the surgery is not yet
\navailable. We are still waiting for the funds (to buy them).\"<\/p>\n
Subari, however, has grown anxious about his family's future.
\nAlthough medical bills are covered by the government, he has to
\nprovide diapers and living expenses. He and his wife have been
\nliving off donations, which are running low, since coming to
\nJakarta three months ago.<\/p>\n
\"How can I find a job when my babies are like this?\" said
\nSubari, who used to sell getuk lindri (cassava sweetmeat) for a
\nliving in his hometown in Pematang Siantar, where the couple have
\nleft their eldest daughter.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, doctors also face similar problems in caring for
\nAni, who has multiple congenital anomaly. The infant, born on
\nFeb. 12 in the village of Kasai, Berau regency, East Kalimantan,
\nhas four legs, no hard palate in the mouth and two sets of female
\ngenitals.<\/p>\n
Doctors conducted a cystoscopy, a urinal examination to
\ndetermine which of her two sets of genitals to retain, on Monday
\nmorning and are awaiting the results.<\/p>\n
\"We will do an angio-MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) first.
\nIf the results are clear enough, we won't need an arteriography,\"
\nPurwanto asserted.<\/p>\n
The fever that Ani had has come down, said Purwanto, and she
\nhas gained weight.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/conjoined-twins-surgery-postponed-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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