Conjoined twin boys were successfully separated after a twelve-hour operation using a 3D printer.
Five-month-old twins Yu Ce Yuan and Yu Ce Xiang – known as James and Harley – were joined at the abdomen before the painstaking procedure.
The surgery, on February 24, was thanks to strangers from across the world who donated $60,000 (£42k) to cover the costs.
Parents Yu Dang and Zhou Li, both 20, travelled more than 1,000 miles from their home in Guizhou province of China to the Children’s Hospital of Fudan University in Shanghai for treatment.
Yu Dang said he feared he would have to choose between his babies’ lives when they initially thought they couldn’t pay for the operation.
Before: The twins were joined at the hip (
Image:
Barcroft)
He said: “At the beginning we thought the surgical fee was too expensive, then we were scared we’d have to choose between one and the other.
“Our hopes are that after the successful surgery their living conditions will be improved.
“We are thankful towards each kind-hearted person’s help. We are very grateful for their support.
After: They were successfully separated
Recovery: They are both now out of their incubators (
Image:
Barcroft)
The twins shared a liver and pelvic bone and a team of doctors spent three hours separating the pelvis before moving on to the intestines.
A urology team then worked to place the babies’ bladders back inside their bodies before orthopaedic surgeons took over to reconstruct their pelvic cavities.
Finally the surgeons fitted colostomies and closed their wounds before the boys were taken to intensive care.
The hospital paediatrics vice president, surgeon Dr Cheng Shan, said that the innovative 3D printing technology “can now benefit all babies”.
Love: Their parents are grateful for the donations (
Image:
Barcroft)
