• Department of Pediatric Surgery, Guangzhou Women and Children’s Medical Center, Guangzhou 510120, Guangdong Province, China;
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ObjectiveTo summarize the diagnosis and treatment of thoracoomphalopagus conjoined twins according to successful separation of two cases of conjoined twins. MethodsA retrospectives study was performed on two pairs of thoracoomphalopagus twins. One case was omphalopagus with complex congenital heart disease (transposition of the great arteries and single cardiac ventricle), and the other was sternoxiphopagus with single pericardium and complex congenital heart disease (single cardiac ventricle and cardiac atrium). All the two cases of conjoined twins shared the common livers. The separation surgery was performed at one month after birth. Results All the two cases of conjoined twins were successfully separated. These conjoined twins were connected by a liver bridge, and shared a pericardium or had a contact pericardium, respectively. The coloboma of peritoneum, diaphragm, and mediastinum were repaired by Gore-Tex patch. Each patient, to varying degrees, had a wound infection after surgery, and healed by taking out the Gore-Tex, debridement or drainage. The first two infants were discharged on 37 d after operation, but one died of pneumonia after 6 months. The two other infants were discharged on 40 d and 93 d after operation, respectively. ConclusionsDetailed information about the twins’ general and conjoined condition, especially on cardiovascular system and the joined liver, shall be understood by the imagination examinations before the operation. Adequate preoperative preparation, elaborate liver separation and rational reconstruction for thoracic and abdominal wall are the key to successful operation.

Citation: YU Jiakang,XIA Huimin,ZHONG Wei,CHEN Xinxin,WANG Yong,PAN Jing.. Clinical Experience on Separation Surgery for Thoracoomphalopagus Conjoined Twins: Report of Two Cases. CHINESE JOURNAL OF BASES AND CLINICS IN GENERAL SURGERY, 2011, 18(7): 741-744. doi: Copy