Staged separation of craniopagus twins

Craniopagus twins are rare and account for up to 6% of all conjoined twins. No hospital will encounter many such twins and the opportunity to develop expertise is limited. We have dealt with two such sets and illustrate our approach by reference to our most recent set. We believe that detailed imaging allows precise delineation of the anatomy and facilitates detailed planning of the surgery. When venous drainage from the two brains is connected, we believe that staged separation is preferable as gradual alteration of hemodynamics may be safer than a single stage procedure.

Source: Seminars in Pediatric Surgery - July 4, 2015 Category: Pediatrics Authors: David Dunaway, N u Owase Jeelani Source Type: research