Risky surgery for 'mermaid'
2005-05-31 11:38
Lima - Peru's "little mermaid", a baby born with legs fused from her thighs to her ankles, will undergo delicate surgery on Tuesday night to begin repairing her rare birth defect, her doctors said.
Milagros Cerron, who celebrated her first birthday on April 27, was born with a rare congenital defect known as sirenomelia, or "mermaid syndrome", which occurs in one out of every 70 000 births.
Doctors will begin the first of three complicated operations to separate her legs, which are seamlessly fused all the way to her heels, at 21:00 on Tuesday, according to a statement.
The surgery on Milagros, whose name means "miracles" in Spanish, will focus on her ankles and the lower third of her calves, and is expected to last at least four hours.
There are only three known cases of children with the affliction alive in the world today, said the child's physician, Dr Luis Rubio.
Rubio and the Milagros's parents were not immediately available for comment on Monday.
A medical team of 10 doctors, including plastic surgeons, paediatricians and heart specialists, will assist in the surgery, the statement said.
15 years of surgery ahead
In the last three months, doctors have inserted silicone bags filled with saline solution to stretch the skin so it will cover her legs once they are cut apart.
Rubio said last month "frequent, recurring urinary infections" and a low red blood count had slowed her progress ahead of surgery.
Milagros has a deformed left kidney and a very small right one located very low in her body. In addition, her digestive and urinary tracts and her genitals share a single tube.
Rubio said Milagros would need up to 15 years of corrective surgery to reconstruct and repair her sexual, digestive and other internal organs.
- AP