After a meticulous 13-hour operation, a team of doctors in Nigeria has successfully separated a set of conjoined twins named Goodness and Mercy Martins at the National Hospital Abuja. The surgery involved 78 doctors working in two groups.
The conjoined twins were born on 13th of August 2018 at the Federal Medical Centre, Keffi Nasarawa state, through a caesarean session. Their mother, who was unemployed and unaware of the twin pregnancy, was in disbelief when they were delivered joined at the chest and abdomen.
Lead surgeon Emmanuel Ameh, speaking to the BBC, revealed that the complex surgery took place in November and the twins were now in good enough health to be discharged. The operation, costing around $55,000, was conducted free of charge for the twins’ parents, Michael Edeh and Maria Onya Martins, who could not afford the medical expenses.
During the formal presentation of the separated twins on Tuesday, January 7 in Abuja, the Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, praised the successful surgery, attributing it to the collaborative effort and support received at the hospital.
Following their birth, the twins received specialized care at the National Hospital in Abuja for 16 months, undergoing four operations by a team of experts comprising various medical specialties. Eventually, they became fit for the separation surgery.
Professor Emmanuel Ameh, the consultant pediatric surgeon who led the team, described the twins’ case as unusual due to their connection at two critical body organs.
He presented an animation video illustrating the steps involved in the twins’ separation.
“This is an extremely rare condition. The biggest challenge we faced had to do with their separation at the chest region. This is really the first time that twins joined in the chest and the abdomen are separated throughout the entire country. All the other separated twins are joined only in one organ,” Ameh said.
The National Hospital Abuja has successfully separated around 11 conjoined twins over the last 20 years, but this case was distinct as it involved the lower chest wall, liver, and diaphragm for the first time.
The twins’ father expressed his happiness and gratitude, stating, “I am so happy to see Goodness wrapped separately. I initially couldn’t believe it. My gratitude goes to God and the medical team. May this success continue.” His wife also expressed profound appreciation for the doctors and hospital staff.
The medical director of the hospital, Jaff Momoh, acknowledged the exceptional efforts of the medical team and informed that the women’s affairs minister had promised to provide Mrs. Martins with a job to support the family.