Science and Medicine save Twins

Surgeons separate conjoined twins who shared intestine

Little Rosie and Ruby Formosa, who who were born joined at the abdomen.

Conjoined twins who shared an intestine have been successfully separated by top surgeons. Rosie and Ruby Formosa, who were born joined at the abdomen, needed an emergency operation to separate them. The pair underwent the operation at London’s Great Ormond Street Hospital on 27th July – just a day after they were born.

Despite doctors’ warnings that survival chances were low, the sisters are now doing well and are smiling “bubbly babies”.  Their mother Angela had already had a normal pregnancy with her first daughter Lily who is now five years old, so was shocked to find out the twins were joined.

She said: “At an early pregnancy scan they said the twins looked very close together so I went to King’s College for another scan. Between 16 and 20 weeks we found out that they were joined – I didn’t know what to think, I was shocked and I felt sad.”

Angela and Daniel Formosa hold their baby girls, with surgeon Edward Kiely, left, and Professor Agostino Pierro, right.

“We didn’t know what to expect until they were born – the doctors could not tell where they were connected. They decided to deliver them early at 34 weeks. I went into University College Hospital and had the C section and the doctors decided that the girls should go for their operation quite soon. Within a couple of hours they had been taken to Great Ormond Street Hospital. I stayed at UCH overnight then discharged myself the next day so I could be with the girls.”

The girls were operated on the next day by a team of specialists led by paediatric surgeon Professor Agostino Pierro.

“In this case, the twins were joined by the abdomen at the level of the umbilicus and shared part of the intestine,the operation to separate the twins had to be performed as an emergency because of an intestinal blockage.” He said.

“We are delighted with the outcome of the operation. The babies will need further treatment in the future, but we expect that they will both be able to lead happy and normal lives.”

Angela, said that she and husband Daniel, 36, were “happy and relieved” to have the girls, now 12-weeks-old, at home.

She said: “They are really well, they are putting on weight. They are normal bubbly babies who are starting to smile and cry when they want something.”

Great Ormond Street Hospital is one of the most experienced centres in the world for the treatment of conjoined twins.

Many children come to GOSH with complex conditions, sometimes life threatening and in need of specialist care and pioneering treatments.

With your help they can give hope to the children and continue to make Great Ormond Street Hospital the special place that it is. Click on the GOSH and see what a difference you can make to a child’s life.