Risky operation removes
parasitic twin from baby
Dr John Ruge, who led the surgery, said one of
the biggest challenges had been to ensure Dominique was not left paralysed.
He said:
"There was a lot of challenges to her skeletal system... we could
destabilise her spine and cause her impairment."
Another of the surgeons, Frank Vicari, said:
"We had an enormous amount of imaging, specialised imaging that would
allow us to identify her own native anatomy, the anatomy of the parasitic twin
and anticipate the problems we might see... so that we could pre-plan what we
intended to do and minimise any opportunity for a surprise during
surgery."
Dr Ruge said the operation had been
vital because of the strain on Dominique's heart and lungs of having to
"provide nourishment to another almost individual".
Also, the parasitic twin had
been attached at a very important junction between the neck and the thoracic
spine and "that amount of mass and disturbance in that area would cause
her significant spinal problems as she grew".
Dominique's foster carer in
Chicago Nancy Swabb said: "She has touched our hearts. She is a member of
our family.
"We know that she will go back to
her loving family, and we'll keep in touch - but this has changed our lives.
She is pretty amazing."
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