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CNN Sunday Morning

Interview With Michael Dwyer

Aired July 06, 2003 - 10:06   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.


FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Now, more now on this incredible surgery taking place involving conjoined 29-year-old twins. It's an unprecedented surgery involving adult conjoined twins, and they're Iranian. The surgery is taking place in Singapore, and on the phone with us now is of the BBC Michael Dwyer, a reporter who is following this story from there. Michael?
MICHAEL DWYER, BBC REPORTER: Pleased to be with you.

WHITFIELD: Hello, Michael.

DWYER: Hi, there.

WHITFIELD: Hi, what's taking place there? I understand the surgery is under way, and it's a surgery that could take as long as two days?

DWYER: That 's correct. The surgeons are suggesting that 48 hours is the minimum period it will take to conduct this very complex operation. About 10 hours into the operation, they conducted a media conference and said to this point, the operation has been successful. What they have managed to do after taking the MRI and CT scans was to remove a section of the vein from Ladan's thigh to sections that will be used as venous graft or bypass operation, which will be conducted later on in the surgical procedure.

One of the critical aspects that these surgeons have identified is the need to maintain blood flow to the brains as the twins are separated. The next stage, which they're moving on to now, after repositioning the twins using a special support frame, is the plastic and reconstructive teams work to pull back the twins' scalp. Once they have achieved that, the neurosurgeons can then get to work on the conjoined brains. That work is expected to take at least 12 hours. That's just the first of several more steps.

WHITFIELD: Wow, and, Michael, knowing there's a 50/50 survival rate for these two young ladies, why is it that they have expressed that they're willing to take this kind of chance?

DWYER: They have lived a remarkable life so far. For 29 years, they have been together. They have -- they are both law graduates. They have professional careers despite the amazing struggle which no doubt they have gone through to achieve that. But they have separate life plans. Ladan is happy being a lawyer. She is the one who wanted to be a lawyer, but Laleh would like to be a journalist. She would also like to be in Tehran, whereas Ladan would like to move back to their hometown of Shiraz. So, they have separate life plans.

They had been looking for surgeons to separate them for some time. They were very happy when they found out that Singapore had this expertise, that the Nepalese twins in 2001 were successfully separated and are living happy to this point. When they found out that operation had taken place, they approached the Singapore team, and after a long period of preparation, the team here is able to give them maybe a chance at those life dreams they have.

WHITFIELD: And, Michael, what's the explanation as to how so many doctors from around the world have been recruited to gather to be a part of this surgery?

DWYER: It's just very complex surgery, which has many parts. It hasn't been tried before to separate adult conjoined twins where they're conjoined at the skull. This is ground breaking surgery which is happening. So, surgeons and various medical support experts have been gathered from all over the world to help this team, which is led by a Singapore surgeon, a Dr. Goh, who was involved in separating the Nepalese twins in 2001.

It's a series of very complex tasks which will take at least 48 hours. Some surgeons working side by side coming from different sides of the brains at the same time, so there's a large number of support staff which need to provide support, nurses, over the 48 hour period working in shifts. Very complex operation which takes a lot of people.

WHITFIELD: All right. Freelance journalist Michael Dwyer, thank you very much for joining us on the telephone.

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 July 6, 2003 - 10:06   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Now, more now on this incredible surgery taking place involving conjoined 29-year-old twins. It's an unprecedented surgery involving adult conjoined twins, and they're Iranian. The surgery is taking place in Singapore, and on the phone with us now is of the BBC Michael Dwyer, a reporter who is following this story from there. Michael?
MICHAEL DWYER, BBC REPORTER: Pleased to be with you.

WHITFIELD: Hello, Michael.

DWYER: Hi, there.

WHITFIELD: Hi, what's taking place there? I understand the surgery is under way, and it's a surgery that could take as long as two days?

DWYER: That 's correct. The surgeons are suggesting that 48 hours is the minimum period it will take to conduct this very complex operation. About 10 hours into the operation, they conducted a media conference and said to this point, the operation has been successful. What they have managed to do after taking the MRI and CT scans was to remove a section of the vein from Ladan's thigh to sections that will be used as venous graft or bypass operation, which will be conducted later on in the surgical procedure.

One of the critical aspects that these surgeons have identified is the need to maintain blood flow to the brains as the twins are separated. The next stage, which they're moving on to now, after repositioning the twins using a special support frame, is the plastic and reconstructive teams work to pull back the twins' scalp. Once they have achieved that, the neurosurgeons can then get to work on the conjoined brains. That work is expected to take at least 12 hours. That's just the first of several more steps.

WHITFIELD: Wow, and, Michael, knowing there's a 50/50 survival rate for these two young ladies, why is it that they have expressed that they're willing to take this kind of chance?

DWYER: They have lived a remarkable life so far. For 29 years, they have been together. They have -- they are both law graduates. They have professional careers despite the amazing struggle which no doubt they have gone through to achieve that. But they have separate life plans. Ladan is happy being a lawyer. She is the one who wanted to be a lawyer, but Laleh would like to be a journalist. She would also like to be in Tehran, whereas Ladan would like to move back to their hometown of Shiraz. So, they have separate life plans.

They had been looking for surgeons to separate them for some time. They were very happy when they found out that Singapore had this expertise, that the Nepalese twins in 2001 were successfully separated and are living happy to this point. When they found out that operation had taken place, they approached the Singapore team, and after a long period of preparation, the team here is able to give them maybe a chance at those life dreams they have.

WHITFIELD: And, Michael, what's the explanation as to how so many doctors from around the world have been recruited to gather to be a part of this surgery?

DWYER: It's just very complex surgery, which has many parts. It hasn't been tried before to separate adult conjoined twins where they're conjoined at the skull. This is ground breaking surgery which is happening. So, surgeons and various medical support experts have been gathered from all over the world to help this team, which is led by a Singapore surgeon, a Dr. Goh, who was involved in separating the Nepalese twins in 2001.

It's a series of very complex tasks which will take at least 48 hours. Some surgeons working side by side coming from different sides of the brains at the same time, so there's a large number of support staff which need to provide support, nurses, over the 48 hour period working in shifts. Very complex operation which takes a lot of people.

WHITFIELD: All right. Freelance journalist Michael Dwyer, thank you very much for joining us on the telephone.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com