The doctors, carers, and surgeons at Advocate Children's Hospital in Illinois have changed the life of a baby girl hailing from a tiny village in Ivory Coast, Africa.
Baby Dominique was born with four legs and two spines of her underdeveloped "parasitic twin," but has got a new lease of life courtesy of the team.
Ten-month-old Dominique would have faced complete paralysis, as well as social and mental ridicule in the future, if the surgery was not performed on time. Dominique was born with two separate spines and two fully formed legs, which jutted out from her neck.
"It was as if the twin from the waist down had been attached to the back of Dominique's neck. There was a pelvis, bladder, and functional legs that moved and feet coming out of the back of Dominique's neck," said Dr. John Ruge, one of the surgeons at the Advocate Children's Hospital.
The hospital says that baby Dominique is recovering well and can sit properly on her own.
What Are Parasitic Twins?
There are many unusual types of twins and parasitic twin is one of them. They are a specific type of conjoined twins. Parasitic twins are formed during the gestation period, when one of the twins develops while other remains underdeveloped, or is partially formed, or totally dependent on the other fully formed twin.
In most cases, the parasitic twin develops into a normal individual with extra organs or can be just the mutation of an individual's body. Researchers believe that these kinds of twins develop from mechanisms, which may be similar to those that produce the Vanishing Twin Syndrome.
The Surgery And Aftermath
This major surgery was performed on March 8. Dominique's heart and lungs were partially supporting her at the time.
The surgery was performed to remove the parasitic twin from Dominique's body. The surgeons had to be careful during the surgical process so as to not disconnect any nerves or blood vessels that could cause damage, paralysis, or numbness in the baby girl.
During the procedure, the doctors were able to detach all the parts of the child's underdeveloped twin. This reduced her weight by 2 pounds. The only part of the parasitic twin, which still remains attached to her is a part of an irregular bone. This helps stabilize Dominique's spinal column. The surgeons have covered the area with the help of a soft tissue, which was taken from the parasitic twin's thigh.
Doctors did not remove the two spines of the infant as they are intertwined. The doctors are not sure which of the two spines supports her body columns, as well as rules her nervous systems. An X-ray was conducted to find out more about the spinal cords. It was revealed, that the baby's brain was connected to one of her spinal cords, which diverges into two, each having its own separate spinal column. The doctors hope that the two spines will not affect her in the future
"Like any child, she needs to be cared for and watched for developmental issues. She has slightly more risk because she is built slightly more different than other children. But she looks great. We had 100 worries before surgery, and risks were high, so we're pleased with how she's doing," stated Dr. Ruge.
