An eight-month-old baby who grew a second ‘head’ has undergone surgery to have it removed.
Doctors say the second head was a ‘parasitic twin’, weighed almost a kilo and had brain tissue within it.
The child, known as Tofajjal, was suffering from a rare disease called encephalomeningocele, said to affect one in 40,000-45,000 babies.
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An eight-month-old baby who grew a second head has undergone surgery to have it removed. Doctors say the second head was a ‘parasitic twin’, weighed almost a kilo and had brain tissue within it
The child, known as Tofajjal, was suffering from a rare disease called encephalomeningocele, said to affect one in 40,000-45,000 babies
He has now had the ‘head’ removed in a painstaking five-hour operation, health.india.com reported.
Neuro-surgeon Sisir Das, from Kolkata’s Apollo Gleneagles Hospital, told journalists outside:‘Tofajjal was born with a rare deformity – there was a second head maturing on top of his head.
‘I have never operated on such a big lesion. It was a very critical operation and slightest slip-up during the vital surgery might have ended the life of the baby.’
He added that even returning Tofajjal to his parents was a challenge, as they live in a very remote village.
Tofajjal’s father said he had all but given up hope that his son’s condition could be treated. ‘Most of the doctors and relatives in Tripura told us that our baby would not be cured and he might die soon, [so] we took him to Kolkata in a critical condition,’ said Shah Alam Mia, who works as a driver.
Tofajjal’s parents Shah Alam Mia and Sabia Khatun said they had all but given up hope that their son’s condition could be treated
Tofajjal has now had the ‘head’ removed in a painstaking five-hour operation and is said to be recovering well
His wife added: [No-one] said that my child would live. But with the blessings of Allah, I am taking him back home.
Encephalomeningocele is a form of neural tube defect more often seen in patients living in Southeast Asia than elsewhere.
In this condition, both brains appear protruded.
Doctors say Tofajjal has already shown signs of speedy recovery post the surgery and it is hoped he will be able to lead a relatively normal life.