8-month-old twins conjoined at the head who had been brought to Türkiye from Pakistan were separated after 14 hours long surgery by the directions of Dear President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. The recuperated female babies are going to be able to celebrate their first birthday separated but together.
Mirha and Minal from Pakistan were born conjoined at the head in September 2023. Türkiye couldn't be unconcerned with the family's cry for help, who hadn't found an opportunity for the treatment of their children in their country.
Dear President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan gave an order to bring the siamese twins to Türkiye for treatment after Prof. Dr. Noor Owase Jeelani who is a famous pediatric neurosurgeon for separation surgeries of conjoined twins in London had contacted him to inform him about the conditions of the babies.
The babies who had been under treatment in Bilkent City Hospital after being brought to Ankara in May with the help of an organization carried out by The Ministry of Health, were separated in a two-stage surgery led by Prof. Dr. Owase Jeelani who came from London for this surgery, Bilkent City Hospital Pediatric Neurosurgeon Associate Prof. Harun Demirci, Plastic, Reconstructive and Cosmetic Surgeon Associate Prof. Hasan Murat Ergani.
The last operation which brought the twins to life was performed in 19 July. The twins conjoined at the head were successfully separated in this surgery with 60 healthcare professionals involved as it lasted for 14 hours.
Our Minister of Health Kemal Memişoğlu visited the little babies, had information about their health conditions and expressed his wish for a speedy recovery soon.
''It is a great happiness to see the babies in such a medical condition at this moment."
Our Coordinator Chief Medical Officer Associate Prof. Aziz Ahmet Surel making statements about the now 11-month-old twins who regained their health reminded that Prof. Dr. Owase Jeelani performed the separation surgery of the siamese twins Derman and Yiğit who had been transferred to England under the auspices of Dear President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and The First Lady Emine Erdoğan in 2020.
Surel, stating that Prof. Dr. Owase Jeelani witnessed that the opportunities of Bilkent City Hospital were suitable for such types of surgeries when he visited the hospital later and he was welcomed by Dear President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan at that moment, said that The President would be happy if Prof. Dr. Owase Jeelani performed those surgeries in Türkiye. Thus, this process is the answer of that invitation made in 2020.
Indicating that The Presidency of Türkiye has stayed in touch continuously with Bilkent City Hospital Medical Team, Prof. Dr. Owase Jeelani and his team related to the Pakistani twins since the first months of this year as all the medical procedures of the babies were carried out in our hospital, Surel said ''a significant transfer of knowledge and experience through this operation took place. We are proud of our country, our hospital and our medical team. We are thankful for Prof. Dr. Owase Jeelani, his team and our team one by one. Witnessing the current situations of the babies healthy and smiling by comparison to their conjoined conditions on the first day when they were admitted is a happiness leaving you speecless.
''They are going to celebrate their first birthdays separately.''
Prof Dr. Namık Yaşar Özbek, The Chief Medical Officer of The Children's Hospital, stating that this operation was a serious team work shared the following information:
''Our babies had been living conjoined, so they'd had some problems with sitting and hand motions. These problems were fixed after the surgery by our neurologists, physiotherapists and neurodevelopmental specialists. Our babies are very well now, they have started to use their hands, arms and control their heads. It is their birthdays after 10 days and they are going to celebrate their first birthdays separately.''
Tissue Expansion was performed via a balloon expander.
Bilkent City Hospital Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Clinic Faculty Member Associate Prof. Hasan Murat Ergani said that a very detailed medical planning had been conducted before the surgery and this process was exciting and pleasing for them as well.
Stating that they performed tissue expansion surgery by placing expander balloon first to avoid any tissue loss after the separation procedure of the babies, Ergani said: ''We placed a balloon like material to be filled progressively under the skin of their heads, causing not any damage to any tissue while expanding the tissue in the first session. We filled the materials once a week, expanding the tissue. This was a two month process approximately.''
''All the healthcare staff looked each other in the eye as it was an unforgettable moment.''
Addressing that preparations for the second surgery which separation to be performed together with the neurosurgeon team after were made, Ergani said ''Since the brains of the babies would be exposed after separation, the tissue covering the brain had been very important.'' There had been a probability of causing damage to the infants after any complication, thus it was planned in great detail. When we separated the infants in the surgery on the 19th of July, we made a plan to divide the tissues.
Expressing that they were on duty next to the bedside of the babies in the first days to prevent them from poor circulation after the surgery, because the babies were not supposed to lie down on the tissues Ergani said: ''It is amazing joy to see our babies in such a healthy condition.
Our doctors and all the healthcare professionals looked at each other, a storm of applause was greeted at the moment when they were separated successfully. It was one of the moments I would always remember in my life.''
14-Hour-Long Surgery Process
Pediatric Neurosurgeon Associate Prof. Harun Demirci made the following statement about the separation surgery:
''After all the planning and preoperative procedures, the surgery day when the infants had been about to be separated came which was the longest phase. All the staff were ready at 06:00 am in the morning. The babies were prepared for anesthesia comfortably until 09:30 am. 14-hour-long surgery process started after as a slow, smooth surgical procedure was planned. We were lucky that the brain tissues of the infants were independent. The babies were separated through a very good process at a very good pace.''
''The babies couldn't adapt to be separated in the beginning, so we put the twins in the same cot for a while.''
Pointing out that the babies were not able to use the left side of their bodies so that they had been joined at the left side, Demirci said that a six-week physical therapy process was being conducted after the surgery.
Assoc. Prof. Demirci, continued:
''Our babies were not get used to live independently at first. They were not calm and quiet when they stayed away from each other, that's why we put them together in the same room in intensive care unit in early days as we were forced to put them on the same bed in the inpatient ward for a while, too. Because, they were wanting that contact. Later, they got used to be independent. Their health conditions are pretty well. We are planning to discharge them after 2-3 weeks. They are going to undergo a check-up after three months. We are going to monitoring of formation of brain tissues and bone development for some time. We hope that everything will go well''
''All of us started to applaud while we were crying.''
The Chief Medical Officer of Children's Hospital Anesthesiology and Reanimation Clinic Dr. Sibel Saydam M.D. pointed out that the babies needed to undergo general anesthesia three times for investigations such as CT Scan, MRI before the surgery and this procedure was pretty tough. Saydam: ''We were an anesthesia team consisting of 11 people. We divided for two babies. We were nervous by the possibility of any complication process during the 14-hour-long surgery procedure. It was an unforgettable moment when it was said that the separation procedure was accomplished in the surgery. All of us started to applaud while we were crying. The surgeries of the separated babies continued in two separated rooms after, then we dropped them in intensive care one by one. An inexpressible feeling to put into words.''
The Charge Nurse of Pediatric Neurosurgery Makbule Yiğit said that they did their best to support the babies and their family all the time. She said that the nurses were always with the family at the point of physiotherapy practices and improvement of suck reflex of the babies which they hadn't had.
''That moment when I saw my babies was unbelievable.''
Rehan Ali the father of the twins, saying that they went through tough times and prayed for their daughters expressed the process they went through in the following statements:
''Our babies were born conjointed in 2023. They told us that they couldn't be treated in Pakistan so we contacted Dr. Owase Jeelani from London, we sent him the photos and medical documents of our babies. He evaluated those and said that the separation surgery was possible. However, we didn't have enough financial capacity to have them perform the surgery in England. Thereupon, Dr. Owase Jeelani contacted President Erdoğan, informed him about our case. Thus, all the necessary arrangements have been made and then we were brought to here.''
The father, emphasizing that they were so happy and they owed a debt of gratitude to everyone who put their effort, said: ''I was very happy when I saw my babies separated. It was unbelievable. They are going to turn one in wellness soon, we are so happy. I want to thank everyone beginning with Dear President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and The Minister of Health, Bilkent City Hospital, all the doctors and healthcare professionals. We owe a debt of gratitute to them. We want to meet President Erdoğan very much to thank him.''
The mother, Nazia Parveen, conveying her thanks to Dear President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, all the doctors and hospital medical staff, said: ''I am very happy, my babies are healthy now, they are in wellness.''
Dr. Owase Jeelani thanks Türkiye for the conjoined twins from Pakistan
Prof. Dr. Owase Jeelani being famous for separation surgeries of the twins all around the world, giving a helping hand to children sharing the same fate in different countries and the founder of the global charity called ''Gemini Untwined'' informed Dear President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan about the situation of the Pakistani Family who contacted him for the treatment of the conjoined babies at the head.
Mirha and Minal, the 8-month-old conjoined twins who were brought to Türkiye and underwent treatment in Ankara Bilkent City Hospital in May by the order of President Erdoğan after this conversation, was separated from each other successfully through a 14-hour-long surgery that Prof. Dr. Owase Jeelani and Turkish Physicians.
Dr. Owase Jeelani answered the questions of the AA reporter online regarding the surgery of the female babies who regained their health and the process following after.
He said: ''We would be happy to helpful for children as Türkiye.''
Dr. Owase Jeelani, pointing out that conjoined twins at the head were seen less often than other conjoined twins but every country doesn't have the infrastructure and experience to perform the surgeries of those babies sharing this condition said that they established that global charity named ''Gemini Untwined'' to provide medical support for the conjoined twins all around the world in 2018.
Dr. Owase Jeelani, in this context, reminded that they performed the separation surgery of the conjoined twins Derman and Yiğit who were transferred to England under the auspices of President Erdoğan and the first lady Emine Erdoğan in 2020 continued as:
''I had a chance to meet President Erdoğan at that point. President Erdoğan appreciated the mission of the charity and our studies adopting the mentality that every child is precious and he said: ''Whenever the charity needs support for children, we would be happy to help you as Türkiye.''
A couple of years passed after our conversation as we supported children in different countries and continents. We became aware of the conjoined female twin babies who were born last year in Pakistan. We tried to raise fund to perform their surgeries in London but the progression of fundraising process was very slow. The time was limited for the babies and I remembered the conversation I had with President Erdoğan so we contacted his office, informing them about the case of the babies. They referred us to The Ministry of Health after this conversation. It was wonderful news that we received Türkiye's support for the babies. The whole process after went on quite fast and easy.
''Türkiye has an excellent health system.''
Stating that The Minister of Health Kemal Memişoğlu and The Ministry standed by them in each process, providing the transfer of the babies from Pakistan to Ankara and admission of them in Bilkent City Hospital to undergo treatment, Dr. Owase Jeelani said: ''Türkiye has an excellent health system. You need three things for an excellent health system; a vision concerning how a healthcare system must be managed in a country, an infrastructure which right hospitals and healthcare facilities are available and devoted, talented, right people. Türkiye has all of these three. It is not open to discussion.''
Expressing that he has so many experiences in Turkish Healthcare System as he witnesses each time that this system works very well, Dr. Owase Jeelani said: ''Bilkent City Hospital is one of the greatest examples of this, where the best practices of the world and Türkiye are linked together. They have an excellent facility and staff members. They have also very experienced doctors with whom I really enjoyed working with.
''They will grow up healthfully, normally and happily inşallah.''
Prof. Dr. Owase Jeelani, highlighting his happiness of experience sharing with Turkish doctors recorded:
''The operation of the babies were performed in two stages by myself, my team and Bilkent City Hospital physicians together. We worked alltogether and completed the separation of the twins successfully. It is amazing to see that the operation went very well and the babies recovered healthfully. They will grow up healthfully, normally and happily inşallah. We are very happy to provide this for these children.
''This is a greater story than the story of two female babies.''
Underlying the importance of improving team work and multidisciplinary approach in such complicated surgeries, Dr. Owase Jeelani made the following statements:
''If you see what we have achieved, these two female babies were in a different region of the world, they couldn't get any help in the country where they live. They contacted us from the other end of the world and we contacted Türkiye and Türkiye said they could hep. We transferred these babies from the other side of the world to Ankara as we performed a complicated surgery and obtained a lovely result. This is a greater story than the story of two female babies. This is the story of all the countries united for the children who need help and accomplished a result, this is the story of how the world should be. I am happy because of that. I thank Türkiye, The Ministry of Health, Turkish doctors, nurses and everybody who provided help ever so much. This is an example of how we should work together.''
''We can support all the children as long as the number of the countries like Türkiye increase.''
Emphasizing that there are many children in similar condition who need help, thus they endeavour to help those children all around the world, Dr. Owase Jeelani said:
''We can support this global organisation for all the children who need help as long as the number of the countries which can get involved like Türkiye increase. This is the best way to say ''We are a united world.'' All the people are the same actually, we are a family. We value each other. It doesn't matter where you were born, your color and your race, none of those is important. All the people are the same like one. It was wonderful to see that Türkiye supported this organisation. I expect to have a chance to treat more cases like this together in this way.''
Prof. Dr. Owase Jeelani, stating that this type of surgeries is also a significant experience for Türkiye and this experience lends a helping hand to children in the regions of Türkiye as well, said:
''We need to share experience with each other all together more. This shared experience is applicable for Turkish healthcare teams and vice versa; there are so many things which Türkiye can teach us and the rest of the world. Everything will be better as long as we share our experiences with each other. Basically, Türkiye has everything it needs, we should just do more. Translated by: Deniz Ziya Toroslu
