What Happens When Conjoined Twins Must Be Separated

Recently, twins Ervina and Prefina, who were conjoined at the top of the head, were separated successfully in a Vatican City hospital. Their surgery lasted 18 hours, involving over 30 medical professionals. But not all conjoined twin cases have a happy ending. In many cases, separation means death for one or both of the twins in question. Let’s get into it.

Disclaimer:

Conjoined twins are very rare cases, and the ethics of separation is complicated due to many reasons. We are not medical professionals, but have done a lot of research to create an informative yet entertaining video. It’s not an easy decision for the parents or anyone involved to sacrifice a life to save another. Please be kind in the comments.

Sources:

[Separation of Conjoined Twins]
https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/08/health/conjoined-twins-separated-vatican-scli-intl/index.html?utm_content=2020-07-08T23

[What Are Conjoined Twins?]
https://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/siamese-twins.html
https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/ConditionsAndTreatments/twins-identical-and-fraternal
https://www.chop.edu/conditions-diseases/conjoined-twins
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780128039946000019
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/4470128/
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/conjoined-twins/symptoms-causes/syc-20353910

[The Manchester Twins: Jodie and Mary]
https://pmj.bmj.com/content/77/911/593
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2780371/Separated-twin-living-life-says-judge-ordered-operation-killed-conjoined-sister.html
https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/mary-dies-but-jodie-lives-as-twins-are-separated-622105.html

[The Philadelphia Twins]
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.2307/3527600

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