Twins 'waking up to new world'
2007-09-11 13:16
Johannesburg - Newly separated conjoined twins, Danielle and Danika Lowton, were slowly regaining consciousness on Tuesday, Arwyp Private Hospital said.
The twins were taken off sedatives and ventilators at the East Rand hospital on Tuesday morning and were gradually waking up to a different world - one in which they were no longer joined at their heads.
During a brief interlude from her sleep, Danielle called out to her mother.
"They are busy waking up... Danielle was awake for a bit and she said 'mama'," said hospital spokesperson Dr Henry du Plooy, who was pleased at the progress the girls had made.
The twins have endured months of preparation for the operation to separate them. The operation which lasted 16 hours was conducted by a team of four neurosurgeons, seven anaesthetists and nursing staff. The two were taken off sedatives for the first time since the operation on Tuesday.
Doctors conducting the surgery included head of neurosurgery at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital, Professor Rasik Gopal, Professor S Mokgokong from the University of the Limpopo, a doctor from Arwyp, and Dr Patrick Lekgwara.
Du Plooy said the girls were progressing well and doctors were optimistic after the success of the operation.
However, their conditions would be monitored continuously.
They may be able to go home in the next two weeks, depending on their progress.
'They're doing great'
Democratic Alliance health spokesperson Mike Waters visited the twins on Tuesday.
"They're doing great... they were taken off the drips... their parents are looking forward to taking them home," he said.
There have been at least four cases of successful operations separating conjoined twins in South Africa.
These included the Banda twins, Joseph and Luka, the Lowton twins, Mpho and Mphonyana Mathibela [Mphonyana died a year after the operation], and Monde and Nomonde Mokoena, who were joined at the abdomen.
Conjoined twins born in the Eastern Cape died before they could be operated on.
- SAPA