BY: Michelle Liew
The successful separation of premature conjoined twins at Hospital Tunku Azizah (HTA) graced the headlines this week and has been praised by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah, and the Raja Permaisuri Agong, Tunku Hajah Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah.
Istana Negara, posted on its official Facebook page on Sunday (March 20), stating that Their Majesties have expressed their gratitude when the ‘Omphalopagus’ conjoined twins were successfully separated on Saturday (March 19) without major complications.
“Their Majesties prayed that the conjoined twins would be in good health and recover quickly and be able to live a life like other children,” it stated.
The HTA team led by Datuk Dr Zakaria Zahari including 13 specialists from all over the country, joined by about 20 nurses and staff at the paediatric operating theatre, successfully separated the 17-day-old conjoined twins. The twins were the youngest ever in the country to have undergone the procedure.
Further praising the historic success of the team is Health Director-General Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah.
“Congratulations for the job well done to the HTA team led by Datuk Dr Zakaria Zahari for successfully separating the twins, who are now currently being treated at HTA’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit,” he said.
“Today, history is made at Tunku Azizah Hospital (HTA) where a surgery was done to separate of conjoined twin babies who are attached to the chest, as well as the liver and intestines. The twins were born prematurely at the age of 33 weeks & are the youngest conjoined twins.
The twins were born prematurely at 33 weeks. The surgery took 10 hours. Congratulations to the HTA team led by Dato Dr Zakaria bin Zahari for successfully separating these twins & now they are being treated at the HTA Intensive Care Unit.”
