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Monday 13 October 2003
Twins Successfully Separated
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Twins from Egypt, who were attached by the head, have been successfully separated by doctors in the US. The operation took more than 30 hours to complete. The boys are in a very serious, but stable condition. This report from Ian Pannell: |
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Ahmed and Mohamed Ibrahim were brought to the US from Egypt a year ago to prepare for this complex and high risk operation. Though they have separate brains, the two year olds shared an intricate web of blood vessels. After months of preparation, doctors in Dallas spent hours separating them and carrying out restorative surgery. So far all has gone to plan.
When their father was told 'we have two boys', he fainted on the spot. Their mother, like much of the team, was in tears. Although the procedure appears to have been a success, much remains to be done. The boys will be taken to an intensive care unit where they will remain in a drug induced coma for up to five days to prevent brain damage. They will then need months of therapy and additional reconstructive surgery in the coming years to help them recover. But doctors hope that soon Ahmed and Mohamed will be able to stand face to face for the first time.
Ian Pannel, BBC, Washington
Listen to the words
complex
complicated and difficult with many things involved
high risk
extremely dangerous with a great possibility of failure
an intricate web
a complicated structure with many fine details
restorative surgery
an operation to repair parts of the body so that they can work well again
fainted on the spot
immediately lost consciousness for a short time
an intensive care unit
a special medical department where patients, who might die, are treated
a drug induced coma
a deeply unconscious state caused by medication
therapy
treatment to help patients recover from physical or mental illnesses
reconstructive surgery
an operation to rebuild damaged parts of the body
to stand face to face
if two people are looking directly at each other, they are standing face to face
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