Khon Kaen doctors separate Siamese twins

KHON KAEN: -- A pair of conjoined twins was discharged from Khon Kaen Hospital in Thailand's Northeast today after being successfully separated by surgery costing nearly Bt2 million.

The male twins, Nonthakan and Nanthawat Thasoong, known by their nicknames 'Non' and 'Nan' were born in the hospital in August last year.

Conjoined in a number of places and sharing vital organs, including their intestines, the boys were left until they were three months old before doctors contemplated operating on them.

Hospital director Dr. Wittaya Jaruphoonphol said today that the pair was now ready to go home after recuperating from surgery carried out in November.

The twins are said to have made a full recovery, and to be on track in terms of development.

However, they will continue to be monitored closely by doctors at their local hospital and Red Cross officials, as well as local administrative bodies, and will undergo monthly health checks until they reach school age.

'Non' and 'Nan' are the province's first ever conjoined twins, and are only the 10th pair in the world to be joined in the same way.

The operation to separate them involved a team of more than 50 doctors, and cost the hospital Bt1.93 million.

--TNA 2005-02-16

just wonderin will the seperated siamese twins be still called siamese twins???

:-D

Great news, I bet there are a few smiling faces around now

I have often wondered why conjoined twins are also called siamese twins, for those also wondering...

In Siamese twins the ball of cells does not completely separate and the babies are born attached to each other. If the attachment between the twins is not too great they can be separated. They are often called Siamese twins because the first pair of this type of twin to be described in 1820 came from Siam, which is called Thailand today. This does not mean that there are a lot of twins joined together in Thailand. There are no more there than anywhere else.

http://www.saburchill.com/chapters/chap0033.html

Thats just doubled the school fees then!!!