Conjoined twins' surgery postponed

Leony Aurora, Jakarta

Subari, father of conjoined twins Angie and Angeli from North Sumatra, will apparently have to endure the dark waiting room of Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital's (RSCM) children's intensive care unit in Central Jakarta for at least two more months.

Doctors at the hospital had anticipated that surgery to separate the 4.5-month-old twins could be performed in June, but have decided to postpone it due to problems in conducting a test.

"We have to conduct an arteriographic test, but the smallest catheter we have is too big for the babies," coordinator of public services at the hospital's children's ward Harry Purwanto said on Monday.

Angie and Angeli are joined from the waist down with one leg each and a third one shared. An arteriographic test is needed to assess the flow in blood vessels to the legs to determine who will receive the third leg.

Purwanto said the babies need to weigh at least a total of 10 kilograms to have the test. They are currently 7.7 kilograms in total and healthy. A normal baby can grow between 150 grams and 300 grams in a month, said Purwanto.

Previous surgeries to separate conjoined twins at the hospital were performed when the infants concerned were between four and six months old.

Discussion on the surgery will be held again early August, said Purwanto. "Some equipment for the surgery is not yet available. We are still waiting for the funds (to buy them)."

Subari, however, has grown anxious about his family's future. Although medical bills are covered by the government, he has to provide diapers and living expenses. He and his wife have been living off donations, which are running low, since coming to Jakarta three months ago.

"How can I find a job when my babies are like this?" said Subari, who used to sell getuk lindri (cassava sweetmeat) for a living in his hometown in Pematang Siantar, where the couple have left their eldest daughter.

Meanwhile, doctors also face similar problems in caring for Ani, who has multiple congenital anomaly. The infant, born on Feb. 12 in the village of Kasai, Berau regency, East Kalimantan, has four legs, no hard palate in the mouth and two sets of female genitals.

Doctors conducted a cystoscopy, a urinal examination to determine which of her two sets of genitals to retain, on Monday morning and are awaiting the results.

"We will do an angio-MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) first. If the results are clear enough, we won't need an arteriography," Purwanto asserted.

The fever that Ani had has come down, said Purwanto, and she has gained weight.