Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Live Sunday
Egyptian Conjoined Twins Successfully Separated Today
Aired October 12, 2003 - 18:18 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: Well, the two-year-old twins born joined at the top of their heads, are separated for the first time in their lives -- right now.
Doctors separated the boys earlier today and briefed reporters on the surgery just a short time ago.
John Hammarley from affiliate KDFW has been following this case and he joins us now from Dallas.
Anything new that the doctors presented yet, John?
JOHN HAMMARLEY, REPORTER, KDFW-TV, DALLAS: Well, Carol, it was a -- basically, they were going over a fairly remarkable 35-hour surgery. The doctors' biggest surprise was that there weren't very many surprises. No major brain swelling, no major apparent neurological loss, and no major blood loss during the surgery.
There was a 60-member team of neurosurgeons and plastic surgeons, nurses and support staff, that rotated through the night, through the day, and again through the day today, trying to complete what hasn't been done very often -- only 60 attempts worldwide in recorded medical literature, and only a two percent success rate.
But they really credited a lot to the two- and three-dimensional computerized models that they helped plan the strategic surgical approach they were going to take during the surgery.
When the parents were told that they had two separate boys, the mom started crying and the dad threw his arms around the Egyptian doctor and started crying. And then he fainted. He had to be treated in the hospital hallway at the time.
Carol, back to you. It's a great -- but they're not out of the woods. They're still actually being operated on in terms of getting the final details ready.
And what we know now is that there will be placed in a medically- induced coma for at least two to three days, after which they'll be taken out slowly, make sure there isn't any brain swelling. And then they'll see whether or not there is any neurological damage.
LIN: Yes. I was about to ask you. I mean, what are the chances that these kids came come through something like this without having any brain damage?
HAMMARLEY: The chances are really slim. But the doctors sat out there just a few minutes ago with confident smiles, but with caution, saying that they thought they had really done a tremendous surgery without much damage.
But, really, they don't know and they won't know, probably for several weeks.
LIN: All right. OK. Well, our prayers are still going out to that family. Good for them, and I hope the father has recovered and can at least enjoy this phase, that his little boys are ...
HAMMARLEY: I think he's doing fine.
LIN: ... on their way to recovery. OK. Thanks very much, John Hammarley.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired October 12, 2003 - 18:18 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: Well, the two-year-old twins born joined at the top of their heads, are separated for the first time in their lives -- right now.
Doctors separated the boys earlier today and briefed reporters on the surgery just a short time ago.
John Hammarley from affiliate KDFW has been following this case and he joins us now from Dallas.
Anything new that the doctors presented yet, John?
JOHN HAMMARLEY, REPORTER, KDFW-TV, DALLAS: Well, Carol, it was a -- basically, they were going over a fairly remarkable 35-hour surgery. The doctors' biggest surprise was that there weren't very many surprises. No major brain swelling, no major apparent neurological loss, and no major blood loss during the surgery.
There was a 60-member team of neurosurgeons and plastic surgeons, nurses and support staff, that rotated through the night, through the day, and again through the day today, trying to complete what hasn't been done very often -- only 60 attempts worldwide in recorded medical literature, and only a two percent success rate.
But they really credited a lot to the two- and three-dimensional computerized models that they helped plan the strategic surgical approach they were going to take during the surgery.
When the parents were told that they had two separate boys, the mom started crying and the dad threw his arms around the Egyptian doctor and started crying. And then he fainted. He had to be treated in the hospital hallway at the time.
Carol, back to you. It's a great -- but they're not out of the woods. They're still actually being operated on in terms of getting the final details ready.
And what we know now is that there will be placed in a medically- induced coma for at least two to three days, after which they'll be taken out slowly, make sure there isn't any brain swelling. And then they'll see whether or not there is any neurological damage.
LIN: Yes. I was about to ask you. I mean, what are the chances that these kids came come through something like this without having any brain damage?
HAMMARLEY: The chances are really slim. But the doctors sat out there just a few minutes ago with confident smiles, but with caution, saying that they thought they had really done a tremendous surgery without much damage.
But, really, they don't know and they won't know, probably for several weeks.
LIN: All right. OK. Well, our prayers are still going out to that family. Good for them, and I hope the father has recovered and can at least enjoy this phase, that his little boys are ...
HAMMARLEY: I think he's doing fine.
LIN: ... on their way to recovery. OK. Thanks very much, John Hammarley.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
