Siamese twin girls and their children. How was the fate of the most famous twins who share one body for two. In Russia and the USSR

It is common knowledge that there are two types of twins. Dizygotic (fraternal or fraternal, non-identical) twins develop from two or more simultaneously fertilized eggs. Monozygotic (identical, identical) twins - from one fertilized egg, at an early stage of development split into two (three, four ...) parts. On average, this happens in three to four pregnancies out of a thousand. The reasons for this splitting have not yet been precisely established. Monozygotic twins are genetically identical. Dizygotic twins from the point of view of genetics are ordinary brothers and sisters.

Depending on the stage of development of the fertilized egg, its splitting occurred, several types of development of monozygotic twins are distinguished:

1. In very rare cases (1% of all monozygotic twins), splitting occurs quite late, when the amniotic bladder and chorion have already formed. Then the twins develop in a common amniotic membrane and with a common placenta (monochorionic and monoamniotic type).
2. If the splitting of the zygote (fertilized egg) occurs later, when a hollow ball has formed from the dividing cells, then the twins divide the chorion and placenta among themselves, and their amniotic membranes are individual. This is the most common variant - it occurs in about two-thirds of cases of development of monozygotic twins (monochorionic and diamniotic type).
3. After fertilization, any egg, regardless of whether it is destined to “give birth” to twins or a single fetus, begins to actively divide. The cells that form during this cleavage of the egg are called blastomeres. Blastomeres do not grow, but only halve with each subsequent division. So, splitting can occur already at the stage of two (several) blastomeres and go along the “individualistic” path. By “individualism” we mean the following: identical embryos develop from these blastomeres (after all, they are “children” of one egg), but each has its own chorion and amniotic membrane (dichorionic diamniotic type). About a third of all monozygotic twins develop in this way. In this case, the placenta is most often one, but it happens that “individualism” goes so far that even two placentas are formed (or several, if there are more than two fetuses).

A unique operation to separate the head-fused Siamese twins from Iran, Ladan and Laleh, which lasted more than two days, ended in failure. Both patients died from blood loss. First, Ladan died, and a few hours later Lalekh followed her sister into the other world.

Doctors did not hide the fact that even with the most favorable outcome, women would have to undergo a long rehabilitation. In its first stage, they might experience side effects "mental and physiological effects that they have never experienced in their lives."

The 29-year-old sisters were separated, 28 surgeons and 100 assistants first destroyed the bony septum between their skulls, after which they created a bypass for the blood that feeds the brains of women - Ladan and Laleh had one cerebral vein for two. Then the doctors "brought nutrition" to the brains of each of the women - one of them had to implant a vein taken from the thigh, and proceeded to the actual separation of the brains. This stage of the operation, considered the most difficult (the slightest mistake could cause irreversible consequences), began the night before.

"The brains are very strongly fused. Neurosurgeons had to literally separate millimeter by millimeter," Dr. Prem Kumar said at a press conference at Raffles Hospital, where the operation took place. After the sisters were finally separated, plastic surgery specialists got down to business.

Recall that Ladan and Laleh Bijani sought permission for the operation for 7 years, although they knew perfectly well what was threatening them - the doctors for a long time did not dare to take on such a difficult case. Usually, Siamese twins are separated in early childhood, and surgeons have not previously dealt with patients who have fused heads. The risk that at least one of the women would not survive was extremely high.

Ladan and Laleh were born into a poor family, where, in addition to them, there were 11 more children. Despite the physical defect, the Iranians managed to graduate from Tehran University, however, the learning process took 6 and a half instead of 4 years. Ladan dreamed of becoming a lawyer, and Laleh - a journalist. In addition, the sisters drove the car on their own. Friends of the sisters claimed that women have completely different characters.

The operation cost the Iranian government $300,000. It was done in Singapore, since Siamese twins from the Nepal Ganges and Jamun were successfully separated at Raffles Hospital last year.

The whole world was shocked by the unsuccessful end of the operation to separate the Siamese twins that happened the other day. In this regard, we decided to conduct a small study on the operation of separating Siamese twins.

Since the 10th century, about 200 operations have been carried out to separate conjoined twins. The first successful attempt was made in 1689 by the German surgeon Koenig - he separated the twins, fused at the waist. Despite centuries of experience in conducting such operations, each of them remains unique and involves significant risk.

Two hands, two heads, two hearts... Isn't it possible to separate them? Now in most cases this is possible, but if the twins share vital organs, such as the heart or liver, surgery is not possible.

The most famous of these operations was carried out on Raditza and Doditsa, Siamese sisters born in 1888 in the Indian state of Orissa. They were connected by chests and stomachs.
In 1893, the London impresario began to show girls in the circus. Then, in 1902, they became the main attraction of the exhibition organized by the French Medical Academy. It was there that the doctors discovered that Doditsa had tuberculosis. To save the sister's life, they decided to separate them. An exceptionally difficult operation was performed by Dr. Dowen. But it soon became clear that the operation was unsuccessful. However, her main goal - the extension of the life of Raditsa - was achieved, since she outlived her sister by two whole years.

Now operations pass in most cases quite successfully. Only craniopagi (merged heads) are not always allowed to be separated by the possibilities of modern medicine.

The first successful operation to separate Siamese twins fused at the head was performed on December 14, 1952 at Mount Sinai Hospital, Cleveland, pc. Ohio, USA, Dr. Jacques S. Geller.

In Lithuania, in the city of Alytus, live twelve-year-old girls, Viliya and Vitalia Tamulyavichus, who from birth were doomed, if not to death, then to a terrible life ... If it were not for the director of the Moscow Institute of Neurosurgery. Burdenko Academician Alexander Konovalov. Ten years ago, he performed the first operation to separate twins, fused not only with their foreheads and crowns, but also with their brains! The girls' faces were in different planes, one turned from the other at an angle of about 90 degrees. In general, the twins survived more than 20 complex surgeries. Girls grow up cheerful, talkative, study successfully and love to read. And most importantly, like all twins, they cannot live even an hour without each other.

On average, after operations to separate Siamese twins, only one in four survives. Moreover, surgical intervention is considered successful even if one of the patients dies.

When conjoined twins are born sick, doctors and relatives face a difficult ethical problem. Sometimes only one twin has a chance to survive, and for this you need to sacrifice the life of the second twin. Parents may choose to surgically separate twins and save the life of the strongest twin. A similar incident occurred in 1993 with Emmy and Angela Lakeberg.

The sisters were born fused from chest to belly; they shared a liver and a deformed heart. Their mother, Rita Lakeberg, knew she was carrying conjoined twins who had little chance of surviving and considered aborting, but in the end said, "I can't get rid of my babies." The twins were born so weak that doctors wanted to immediately turn off the air supply that kept them alive.
But the Lakebergs found a clinic in Philadelphia where surgeons undertook to separate the sisters in the hope that they could operate on the deformed heart to save the life of one of them. Angela had a better chance, but still, she had less than a 1% chance of surviving.
The operation lasted five and a half hours, Emmy did not live two hours before its completion. Angela's condition after the operation was stable, but 10 months later, right before her first birthday, she also died.

Rita Lakeberg turned a blind eye to the financial side of the problem and explained: "I could not live on, torturing myself with the question of whether it was possible to save the life of one of the twins." But the public questioned whether such costly surgeries should be carried out when the chances of success are so low, and many people cannot get basic medical care due to a lack of funds.
In addition, operations of this kind are contrary to the main provision of the Hippocratic oath, namely "do no harm." The experts pointed to the fact that if the twins were not conjoined, if both of them fell ill, no one would suggest sacrificing one of the sisters and transplanting her internal organs into the second. It has been suggested that the public does not mind drastic measures being taken on conjoined twins simply because they are perceived by many as monsters.

But there is another point of view on the operations to separate Siamese twins - they are seen as the last opportunity to save a person's life. When fused twins Christina and Betsy Woden were born in 1973, doctors separated them, and Betsy died of a heart defect. Christina is still alive and well. Their mother, Jeanne Walzek, said: “They had to be separated, so what happened was what had to happen. The strongest will survive, the weak may not, but that's the way it is: sometimes you have to sacrifice something to save someone's life.

More often, Siamese twins are female (70-75% of cases).

The name “Siamese” was given to such twins in honor of the famous brothers Eng and Chang Bunker (Chang and Eng Bunker), who were born in Siam (modern Thailand) in 1811. The brothers were connected to each other in the chest area.

Religious ministers declared them to be harbingers of the end of the world, and the king of Siam signed their death sentence, which was literally miraculously canceled later.

Their mother flatly refused to try to separate the brothers, fearing that this could lead to the death of one of them. She rubbed their skin with special creams to give elasticity to the tissues connecting the twins, and ensured that Eng and Chang could not only stand face to face, but change their position more or less freely.

Despite the fact that their appearance frightened the locals, the brothers brought glory to their country. Eng and Chang were the first conjoined twins to actively travel and appear in public. They were received by many royal courts, with the exception of France, which did not even allow them to cross the border.

In 1839, the Bunker brothers decided to leave show business and settled in North Carolina (USA), where they successfully farmed. In 1855, the brothers married sisters Adelaide and Sarah En, who were not twins. The first couple had eleven children, and the second had ten.

In 1874, at the age of 62, Chang died in his sleep, and his brother Eng died three hours later.

The twins Rita and Cristina Parodi were born on March 3, 1829 in Sardinia. They possessed separate upper bodies, but only one pair of legs.

Their parents brought them to France in the hope of getting rich on abnormal offspring. But they failed to obtain permission to perform in public. The twins constantly suffered from colds. Rita, who was very ill from birth, weakened before her eyes, and on November 23, 1829, she died while breastfeeding. Cristina, who up to that moment had been strong and healthy, died a few seconds later. They lived only 8 months.

The skeleton of the twins, as well as a plaster cast of their bodies, is currently in the possession of the Natural History Museum in Paris.

In 1878, in Bohemia, sisters Rosa and Josepha Blazek were born connected by buttocks. Relatives thought it would be better if they died, and after the birth they did not feed them for several days. However, the girls stubbornly clung to life. And when they grew up, they proved that it was not for nothing that they ate their bread. Already in 1892 they became known on both sides of the Atlantic, captivating the audience with their virtuoso violin and harp playing.

On April 15, 1910, the sisters went to the hospital, as Rosa's stomach had grown a lot. Joseph's condition was normal. Both vigorously denied the possibility of pregnancy, defending their maiden honor. But the pregnancy is difficult to hide, and on April 17 a healthy boy was born.

By that time, Rosa admitted that she had a lover, and called his name. He tried to remedy the situation by offering to marry. This caused a lively debate in the press. Some wrote that sisters should have one husband, since they are anatomically connected. Others thought that because they have two hearts and different affections, they should have two husbands. The dispute was academic, because the laws of none of the American states had a corresponding act. And Rosa's lover soon disappeared.

The Filipino pair of twins Lucio and Simplicio Godina, fused in the buttock area, also gained great fame. They were born in 1908 in the Philippines and successfully performed on stage as dancers. Married with twin sisters who joined the family suite. When Lucio fell ill with pneumonia and died in 1936, Simplicio was promptly separated from him. However, he also died a few days later.

The most famous Siamese sisters were Daisy and Violet Hilton (Daisy and Violet Hilton), also born in 1908 in England. Beautiful girls fused at the hips played one of the main roles in the film "Cripples" by Tod Browning. In 1937 they were earning $5,000 a week, and their novels were front page material.

One day, tired of the endless chain of novels, Violetta decided to marry the dancer James Moore. They formalized their marriage in Texas. However, after a couple of weeks, both demanded a divorce. In 1941, Daisy also tried marriage, but her union was just as short: ten days after the ceremony, her husband disappeared.

The tradition of performances on the stage was continued by Margaret and Mary Gibb (Mary and Margaret Gibb), connected by buttocks. They were born in the USA on May 20, 1912, and all their lives they loved each other incredibly. They could be separated with a minor operation, but the sisters didn't want to hear about it. “We were born like that, and we will die like that,” they habitually answered. On January 17, 1967, Margaret died of cancer, followed by her sister.

Masha and Dasha Krivoshlyapovs were born in Moscow on January 4, 1950 to Ekaterina and Mikhail Krivoshlyapovs. The sisters were born with two heads, four arms and three legs. Their spines were connected at an angle of 90 degrees. Catherine was first told that her daughters had died, and after a while the compassionate sister showed her the girls. After that, the woman began to have mental problems. Mikhail Krivoshlyapov was Lavrenty Beria's driver at that time. Under pressure from the medical authorities, he signed the death certificate of his daughters and did not want to know anything more about them.

Medicine could not miss the opportunity to study such a rare case. For 7 years at the Institute of Pediatrics of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR, they were studied by physiologist Pyotr Anokhin.

Then they were placed in the Central Research Institute of Traumatology and Orthopedics, where their third leg was amputated. There the girls were taught to walk with crutches and given a primary education.

For almost 40 years, the twins lived in Soviet institutions for the disabled. Shortly before their death, at the invitation of a French firm, they visited Paris.

Masha and Dasha Krivoshlyapov died on April 13, 2003 at the First City Hospital in Moscow. Masha was diagnosed with acute heart attack. For half an hour, intensive care doctors tried to “start” the stopped heart. 17 hours after Masha's death, Dasha died of intoxication.

Some historians believe that the images of the Roman god Janus, who had two faces, or the mythological hero of the Centaur, could well be inspired by the legends of the Siamese twins.

The Mutter Museum in Philadelphia holds one of the first documented accounts of the Biddend Maidens.

Sisters Mary and Eliza, connected at the hips, were born in 1100 in Biddend, Kent. At the age of 34, one of the sisters dies, the second is offered an emergency operation, but she refuses with the words: "We came into this world together, we will leave it together."

She followed her sister a few hours later. This story has been preserved in detail thanks to the local church, which, having received 20 acres of land after the death of the sisters, still distributes cookies with the image of Mary and Eliza to parishioners every Easter.

However, not all conjoined twins have such a tragic fate. For example, the sisters Abigail and Brittany Hensel are ten-year-old fused twins who, while physically remaining one, live a completely normal, full life.
They are dicephalic twins with one torso, two arms, two legs and three lungs. Each has its own heart and stomach, but the blood supply between them is common. The two spinal cords end in one pelvis, and they have all the organs below the waist in common. Such twins are very rare. The archives record only four pairs of surviving dicephalic twins.

Each sister controls the arm and leg on her side, and each feels touched only on her side of the body. But they coordinate their movements so well that they can walk, run, ride a bike and swim. They learned to sing and play the piano, with Abby playing right-handed and her sister left-handed.
The girls live in a small town in the western United States with their mother, a nurse, their father, a carpenter, and their younger brother and sister. The family runs a farm with five cows, a horse, three dogs and many cats. People living with them in the same town treat them quite normally, and rudeness from strangers is simply ignored. The sisters explain to the curious that they "do not have two heads", but they are, in fact, two different people. This is emphasized by their clothes, which are bought in a regular store and then altered to make two necklines.

They have different tastes, interests and personalities: Abby hates milk, but Britty loves it. As they eat soup, Britty won't let her sister sprinkle crackers on half of her. Abby is more aggressive, Britty is more artistic. Abby is better at math and Britty is better at spelling. When they need to coordinate their desires and make a decision, they toss a coin, set the order of the desired actions, or ask their parents for advice. Usually they settle differences through compromise, but this is not always possible. Between them there are disputes, and even light brawls. Once, when they were very young, Britty hit Abby on the head with a rock.

It often seems as if they are able to read each other's thoughts (some doctors explain this by the fact that certain parts of their nervous system intersect with each other). When Britty coughs, Abby automatically covers her mouth with her hand. One day they were watching TV and Abby said to Britty, "Are you thinking the same thing as me?" Britty replied, "Yes," and they went to the bedroom to read the same book.
Their parents tell them, "You can do whatever you want." Both want to be doctors when they grow up. Britty says she wants to get married and have children.

Another pair of conjoined twin sisters, each of whom is quite happy with life and does not lose heart, is Lori and Dori (nicknamed Reba) Shappel, born in Reading, Pennsylvania, in 1961. They have grown together with a section of the skull and scalp, and they have a common blood supply to the brain. Reba is paralyzed from the waist down and Laurie carries her around in a special chair. These twins look in different directions, and perhaps that is why they see life from different perspectives: Lori is sociable, Reba is shy; Lori loves TV, shopping, and candy, but Reba doesn't. Lori cuts her hair short, while Reba dyes it golden and wears ringlets.

Each of the sisters has their own career. Laurie worked as a clerk and nanny in the waiting room. Reba dreams of becoming a country singer. Her special achievements have been recognized by the Los Angeles Music Incentive Awards Program, which supports young performers. Program Manager Alfred Bowman expressed his admiration for her talent and ability to perform under such difficult conditions.
Gemini believe that in many ways they are the same as everyone else. They have developed effective ways of non-interference in each other's privacy. They usually devote themselves to Laurie's career; but now Laurie is working part-time, and Reba will have more time to develop her talents. When Reba sings in the studio or in concert, Lori becomes passive and lets her sister do her thing.

On the other hand, Lori wants to get married and have children. And in order to allow Laurie to have a private life, Reba becomes quiet and mentally carried away, so although she is physically here, she is really absent. “The young man gets used to it,” Laurie says. “If he wants to be with me, he has to get used to the fact that she is always there.”

And some information about the newly born Siamese twins…

03.10.2001 Doctors in Shanghai faced the rarest case in medical practice. They found the fetus of "Siamese twins" in the abdominal cavity of a newborn premature girl.
Immediately after the birth of the child, doctors discovered an unknown “hard formation” in her stomach. The CT scan made it possible to clarify what it really was.
After a successful operation, a fetus of “Siamese twins” with fused spines was extracted from a five-day-old girl.

According to experts, the girl's mother was pregnant with triplets. However, for a number of reasons that are still being specified, two of the three fetuses began to develop in the womb of a third child.

07/12/2002 Two Siamese twin girls were born in the Kirovograd regional hospital. Vladimir Kolod, the doctor on duty at the Pathology Department of the Regional Children's Hospital, said that the newborns were in his department.
According to Kolod, this is the first case of the birth of Siamese twins in his medical practice. “For 30 years, this is the first case for me,” he said.
According to the Committee of Voters of Ukraine, the birth of Siamese twins in Kirovograd is the first case in the history of independent Ukraine. The twins are fused with their bellies and chests. The total weight of the twins is 5 kilograms 300 grams.

06/23/2003 Unique Siamese twin girls were born in the Argentine city of San Juan: they have a common heart, common lungs and genitals, but two heads, a stomach and a spine each. At the same time, a completely healthy boy was born along with the twins. Doctors believe that this case has no analogues in world practice.

The caesarean section that allowed the newborns to be delivered to a 25-year-old woman from a poor family was performed at the Rawson Maternity Hospital. The director of the medical institution, Gonzalo Medina, said that he "can't say anything about the future of the Siamese twins," although they are developing safely so far.
"Although all metabolic and physiological functions in girls operate," Medina said, "within normal parameters," both he and 23 other doctors involved in unusual births and caring for newborns believe that "any attempt to separate twins is incompatible with saving their lives."

Summing up, we can conclude that fused twins have a lot in common with other twins. They have a close emotional connection, which is further enhanced by the fact that their bodies are connected. And, like other twins, conjoined twins need to overcome the limitations of this connection - they need to develop their own tastes and talents and become individuals. As can be seen from the above short digression into history, many succeeded and they lived and live a full, interesting life.

Zita and Gita Rezakhanovs (born October 19, 1991, Zapadnoye village, Sokuluk district, Chui region, Kyrgyzstan) are Siamese twins from Kyrgyzstan, Russian-speaking Lezgins by origin].

They gained notoriety in the Russian media after 2003, when Russian doctors at the Filatov Central Children's Clinical Hospital in Moscow performed a successful operation to separate the sisters. The peculiarity of the operation was that the Rezakhanovs were ischiopagi, as well as the Krivoshlyapov sisters. This is a rather rare variety of Siamese twins, about 6% of their number. They had three legs for two and a common pelvis that needed to be divided. The missing leg was replaced with a prosthesis. The girls spent 3 years in Moscow. Despite their mother's attempts to obtain Russian citizenship for them, the girls returned to Kyrgyzstan. They participated several times in Andrey Malakhov's show “Let them talk”, the last time they flew there from Kyrgyzstan on February 12, 2010 to participate in an issue dedicated to discussing abortion for medical reasons about the condition of the fetus.

Girls who do not dream of being separated make big plans for the future: go to college, get married and have children...

Periodically appearing reports of successful and not so successful operations to separate Siamese twins suggest that more of them have been born than before. Is this true and why are such children born at all? Is it possible to predict their appearance in early pregnancy?

Thai Siamese twins Pantawan and Panwad Tienjai were lucky to be born at the beginning of the 21st century with the current level of development of medicine. Although, of course, it’s probably wrong to talk about luck when the girls’ heart and liver turned out to be fused. However, 60 doctors managed to separate the sisters in 12 hours at the Bangkok Medical Center, and now this operation is considered the first successful case of heart-liver separation in the world.

Previously, an attempt to share a common heart and liver between two American sisters, Emmy and Angela Lakeburg, was made in the United States in 1993. Moreover, even before the operation, it was known that one of the sisters would have to die. But after the end of the medical intervention, the surviving sister, 10 months later, becomes infected with pneumonia and dies right within the walls of the hospital.

But, despite the success of Asian doctors, the Americans still remain the leader in successful operations for Siamese twins. This is explained by the fact that such interventions began to be done there back in the 60s of the last century, a lot of experience has been accumulated, and over the past 10 years, 250 operations have been performed in US clinics, which allowed either both or one of the twins to survive. In 2005, the Egyptian boys Mohammed and Ahmet, who were born with a fused brain, were successfully operated on there. The operation lasted more than a day. General statistics show that it is possible to save the life of both or at least one Siamese twin during separation in 75% of cases.

Why "Siamese"?

Brothers and sisters fused with different parts of the body were born, probably, always. The first mention of such an anomaly that occurred on the territory of Armenia dates back to 945. Probably the first documentary evidence of Siamese twins is kept in the Philadelphia Museum: a description of the so-called Bidden Maidens. The sisters Mary and Eliza Chulkhurst were born at Bidden in Kent in 1100. They were joined at the hips and died at the age of 34.

And the first operation to separate Siamese twins was carried out in 1689 by the German surgeon Koenig. But, the twins Eng and Chang, who were born on May 11, 1811 in Siam (now Thailand), became truly famous in the world, and they gave the name to this natural phenomenon.

Miraculously, thanks to the mother's fortitude, having escaped death in infancy, when the king of Siam ordered the death of children bearing the "seal of the devil", the brothers brought fame not only to themselves, but also to their country. Merged at the waist, Eng and Chang traveled the world and showed themselves to the public, which also brought them a lot of money.

Newspapers wrote about them, they were received by European royal courts, and in 1839, having completed their tour, they finally settled in the United States and took up farming. Things went well and soon both brothers married the Jans sisters, who, we note, were not Siamese. In total, two couples produced twenty-one children. All the children were normal, except for Chang's two sons, who were born deaf and mute.

There was a moment in their lives when the brothers visited the surgeon and asked to be separated. But the doctor refused, suggesting that it would be better to immediately cut off their heads. True, he advised them to immediately lie down on the operating table, if suddenly one of the twins dies, in order to have time to save the life of the other. But in 1874, when Chang suddenly died in his sleep, there was no doctor around, and Eng outlived his brother by only three hours.

Where does trouble come from

Today, scientists cannot answer the question why Siamese twins are born in one case in 10 million newborns.

Although they are well aware of how it happens. Usually, the egg, if it begins to develop the lives of two identical twins (these are the ones that then look the same), splits into two within two weeks after conception.

But if splitting did not occur on the 13th day, then it remains fused. Depending on whether the egg changed its mind about splitting earlier or later, various types of fruit compounds appear.

Sometimes it happens that one of the twins develops only partially, and people are born with three or four arms or legs growing from different parts of the body. Perhaps the most unique variety of Siamese twins was the French nobleman Lazar John-Baptista Colloredo, who lived in 1617. A brother grew out of his belly, facing Lazar.

The reasons for such abnormal divisions of the egg are not completely clear, but among the first, doctors name: genetic failure, environmental exposure, various toxic factors, side effects of drugs, and even psychological moments.

Can a mother-to-be know in advance if Siamese twins are developing in her womb? It would seem that with modern methods of research - this is not a problem. But in practice, everything is more complicated. Recently in Israel, where the level of development of medicine is beyond doubt, a scandal erupted. At the Sheba Hospital in Tel Hashomer, an Orthodox Jewish couple gave birth to tummy tuck girls.

But the essence of the scandal was not in the very birth of Siamese twins, but in the fact that the woman underwent all the necessary tests, including ultrasound examinations, both two prescribed by the rules, and several additional ones, in the period from 18 to 26 weeks of pregnancy. All the doctors unanimously stated that the pregnancy is going well, the twins are absolutely healthy.

On the other hand, if doctors manage to determine in time (usually with the help of ultrasound) that a woman is carrying Siamese twins, then modern medical technologies sometimes allow them to be separated in the womb. True, this usually leads to the death of one of the brothers or sisters.

“It is not always possible to determine whether a mother of Siamese twins or just twins is pregnant before childbirth,” says Professor Elena Andreeva, head of the gynecology department of the Endocrinological Center of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences. , on the quality of the equipment on which the study is carried out and, of course, on the qualifications of the doctor. In addition, it also plays a role when, at what stage of pregnancy, the study was carried out. The optimal period for detecting such a deviation is from the 20th to the 30th week of pregnancy. "

According to statistics, several hundred Siamese twins are born every year on the planet (this is about one case for every 200 thousand newborns). Why this happens is an unsolved mystery of nature.

Who are they and why are they called that?

Siamese twins are two children born by fused different parts of the body.

According to the laws of intrauterine development, such children are always identical (that is, two fetuses develop from one fertilized egg) and, accordingly, always of the same sex (mainly female).

In newborns, there are both joint organs for two, and an individual organ complex for each, while fusion can be in any part of the body.

It is the presence of "their own" organs and body parts that determines the possibility of a prompt separation of the couple later.

Each case is always unique.

The Siamese twins got their name from the birthplace of the first famous pair of boys in 1811. It happened in the city of Siam (now Thailand).

Reasons for being born

Scientists and physicians still cannot say exactly how such developmental anomalies are obtained.

Theories and assumptions are put forward that the blame for everything:

1. disorders at the genetic level;
2. interaction of a pregnant woman with poisons, toxins or drugs;
3. negative impact of environmental factors;
4. prolonged depression and nervous breakdowns of the expectant mother (the version appeared after a laboratory experiment with monkeys);
5. late birth (after 40 years, the risk of pathologies increases);
6. diseases of the reproductive system of a woman before and during childbearing (opinion of embryologists);
7. closely related marriages of parents (the version is based on statistics of perfect marriages in the world and children born - for example, in Asian countries, fetal malformations are most observed).

Usually, after fertilization, a normal egg actively divides and divides.

In the case of identical embryos, separation should occur on the 5th day of development. But if it doesn't happen before the 13th day, then it stays that way. Subsequently, two fruits develop, interconnected.

That is why it is so important for women in the first trimester of pregnancy to meticulously monitor their diet, not get sick and lead the most healthy and sparing lifestyle.

Types of splicing

Several types of connection of Siamese twins have been identified. Each type of fusion has its own scientific definition.

Heads (craniopagi) and faces

Fusion of children with skulls, but with separate normally developed bodies. Happens in 2% of cases.

craniopagi

In this form, operational separation is feasible, but carries a high risk of death, since there is brain damage.

Polycephali (multi-headed)

A phenomenon in which there are 2 or 3 heads with 2-4 arms on one body.

Polycephalus (dicephali)

Pelvis (ischio-omphalopagi) and sacrum (pygopagi)

When children are connected by spines, and look like the letter Y. They have 4 arms, 2 or 3 legs. In this type, a feature is a common system of excretion and reproduction, so it is impossible to separate them.

pygopagi

Backs (Iliopagi)

This is an fusion of the abdominal cavities, backs and buttocks. It occurs in 19% of the total number of "Siamese".

Heliopagus

Heads and backs (cephalothoracopagi or craniothoracopagi)

When there is a connection of heads and bodies. These children are not viable.

Cephalothoracopagi

Thoracic cage (thoracopagi) and cartilage of the sternum (xiphopagi)

When fused twins face each other and are connected by the chest. They have common organs (one heart, lungs), which makes separation impossible. Pathology occurs in 40% of cases.

Thoracopagus

Breast and abdomen in the lower part (omphalopagi)

A type of fusion where each child has its own heart, but the liver, diaphragm, and digestive system are shared. It is this fusion that is most successfully operated with a certain training of specialists. This anomaly was recorded in 34% of such pathologies.

Omphalopagi

Sideways (parapagi)

With this form, the organs of the chest and abdominal cavities, as well as the heart, can be modified (or be one for two). It occurs in 5% of Siamese twins.

parapagi

Spine (ischiopagi)

Connection in the lower parts of the bodies and fusion with vertebral columns rotated 180 ° to each other. It is noticed in 6% of the described cases.

Siamese twins can live in their original state for a long time. However, the term and quality of life directly depends on the type of fusion, the presence of normally developed organs and body systems.

If the twins live in a fused state (when doctors or parents decide not to carry out an operative separation) and can move independently, live like normal people, then, as a rule, everything goes well for them. They go to school, get an education, find work, start families and have children.

Some Siamese twins become famous. There are many examples of this (sisters with one body and 2 heads - Abby and Brittany Hensel, brothers connected by the chest - Chang and Eng, long-lived brothers from the Guinness book - Ronnie and Donnie Galion, craniopagi sisters Lori and Reba Shpappel).

However, all movements are not easy for such people and they have to learn to control their bodies for years. In the presence of a common nervous system, the most difficult thing is to coordinate their movements, since each of the twins is able to sense only part of the body.

But, having the desire to "live like everyone else", they are able to learn how to ride a bike and drive a car, play musical instruments.

Relationships of different characters also turn out to be difficult (they also conflict, swear, reconcile and take offense at each other).

When health problems arise, both suffer. But the symptoms of the disease appear first in one person, and after a few hours or days in the second.

But the most difficult thing for the “Siamese” is their perception by others. Due to frequent medical examinations, they are forced to travel a lot to medical organizations and change their place of residence. And frequent changes in the situation and environment do not always mean a cordial and understanding attitude of neighbors.

Separation

If Siamese twins are born, then the first desire of the parents is their separation with the preservation of the life of both babies. But this is not always possible.

Each case is considered by a council of specialists, after which parents are informed about all the risks and their consent is taken:

• If the bodies of the twins are formed anatomically correctly (symmetrically), there is a necessary complex of organs, and the state of health is normal, but there is an fusion through skin tissues, then the outcome of the operation is more likely to be positive.
• In other cases, doctors have to observe a shortage of internal organs, limbs for two people or a strong interweaving of blood vessels and nerve fibers. And this greatly complicates the process of making a decision about the operation.
• The most difficult is the surgical separation of twins connected by their heads. Because often they have one brain that cannot be separated.
• If the twins are asymmetrical (that is, one is larger and stronger than the second and there is one organ complex), then the possibility of separation is considered in order to save the stronger twin. In this case, the second child becomes doomed to death in the operating room. If this is not done, then the natural death of the weak will entail the inevitable departure of the second person.

Increased risk of death due to large blood loss during surgery. And later, a number of necessary plastic surgeries, skin transplantation are coming.

Siamese twins are considered impossible to separate (with the survival of both):

• with one common spine or fused of two;
• with one set of vital organs (heart, lungs, digestive tract, brain, urinary system);
• many-headed with one body.

Given all the possible risks, parents have to make the most difficult choice.

The consequences of an operative separation can be positive for both children, 50/50 (only one will survive), or negative for both.

This is followed by long-term rehabilitation, plastic surgery, prosthetics, the colossal work of doctors, relatives and, of course, decent financial expenses.

From a medical point of view, the operation will be considered successful if at least one of the twins survives. To date, successful outcomes are observed in 65-80% of cases.

If you leave everything in its original form, then the couple's chances for a long life become even less. Most Siamese twins do not live up to 1 year due to pathologies in the development of organs.

Another evidence suggests that the mortality rate of unseparated twins is much higher than that of operated twins. If surgical separation is not carried out in a timely manner, then severe disorders develop, and the risk of a successful outcome of the operation decreases significantly and sometimes reaches the impossible.

When possible?

It is impossible to answer this question unambiguously. Only after a complete in-depth and comprehensive study of the state of health of newborn Siamese twins, the community of doctors determines the optimal time for the operation.

The theory is logical that it is necessary to do this at an early age in the phase of active growth of organs and the skeleton.

When was the first?

The first successful separation operation took place in 1689. The German surgeon Koenig separated a pair of twins fused at the waist.

But modern microsurgery does not stand still. Recent years have been marked by the fact that it became possible to separate craniopagus and children with one heart.

So, in February 2007 in Bangkok, for the first time in the world, the separation of 9-month-old sisters, fused with hearts and liver, took place. Previously, no one was able to perform a similar operation with a successful outcome and survival of both girls.

How is the operation going?

After a long examination of the health status of both children, doctors determine the sequence of actions by gathering a council of different specialists.

Using modern technologies, doctors resort to creating a 3D model of the operated area to visualize what they will encounter in the operating room.

If necessary, skin flaps are grown in advance, which will cover large defects. So, for example, it is done with fusion by the stomachs. During preliminary operations, a medical implant is inserted under the skin, and over time, the skin is stretched, this excess is then useful in the process of separating children to create new bellies. The implants are then removed.

The separation operation usually involves several dozen surgeons, anesthesiologists and junior medical personnel, as well as a mass of special equipment for instantaneous observation. Duration - from 7 hours or more.

Operation steps:

1. introduction to anesthesia;
2. incisions of the skin and underlying tissues;
3. stop minor bleeding by coagulation;
4. further, depending on the type of fusion (penetration into the chest / abdominal cavity is carried out, the cranium is opened, areas of skeleton fusion are exposed);
5. unraveling and distribution of organs between twins;
6. separation of blood vessels and nerve fibers;
7. layer-by-layer wound closure;
8. suturing and drainage;
9. transfer to intensive care.

Who was successfully separated?

Notable cases in recent years of successful separation of "Siamese" with the survival of both children:

1. Ezabel and Abby Carlson were born with joined bellies and mixed organs. A 12-hour operation with 17 surgeons was completed successfully in May 2006. After 10 years, the sisters look like ordinary children, lead an active lifestyle, do gymnastics and do not differ from their peers.
2. Jadon and Anias McDonald, head fused. They were operated on by more than 60 doctors in 2016 at the age of 1 year and 1 month. After 2 years, the kids are actively growing and developing. True, one of the brothers is limited in movement, the second is not much different from his peers, but the parents believe in a brighter future, not doubting their decision.
3. Anna Grace and Hope Elizabeth Richards tummy tucked. Were successfully operated on at Texas Children's Hospital on January 13, 2018. The babies were 1 year old at the time of the operation. 75 medical workers participated. The girls are currently being actively rehabilitated.
4. Conner and Carter Maribal, Siamese brothers with the same stomach, liver and intestines (fused bellies). Successfully separated in Florida in 2018, although doctors' predictions were only 25% for success. Nevertheless, the separation took place, one-year-old babies are alive and recovering.

The most famous Siamese twins

Due to their peculiarity, some couples, in an attempt to arrange a decent life and financial stability for themselves, chose to engage in public activities, gave interviews to various media, went to work in a circus, became Guinness book record holders. Why they became quite recognizable personalities all over the world and gained many friends and fans.

How many people in the world?

Accurate statistics are not kept, but according to approximate estimates, about 600 pairs of born Siamese twins have been recorded in the world.

Abroad

Abroad, the appearance of Siamese twins has not caused negative outbursts of public opinion for a long time. Many fused twins, on the contrary, strive to talk about their uniqueness, urging them to be perceived as normal people, and not to be outcasts of society.

Sisters from America Abigail and Brittany Hensel

Dicephalic twins were born with a single body, but a double set of internal organs and two heads. Each of the sisters feels and controls only half of the torso.

Thanks to loving parents, the girls grew up cheerful, got an education, learned to live independently, drive a car (each of them independently passed the exam for a driver's license).

Having received a teacher education (2 diplomas), Abby and Brittany work as teachers and receive two salaries. They are not afraid of the public and are happy to meet with journalists for interviews. On March 7, 2019, the girls will be 29 years old.

Zita and Gita Rezakhanov

Sisters - ischiopagi from Kyrgyzstan, who had 2 bodies, 3 legs and one pelvis for two, were born in 1991.

The girls were separated only at the age of 12 at the Filatov Moscow Children's Hospital under the supervision of the media and the head of Chechnya, who provided financial assistance.

12 years after the separation, Zita died of multiple organ failure. The Gita is developing normally. After graduating from high school, she went to study at a Muslim college.

The first Siamese twins in history are brothers, after whom the very name "Siamese" appeared. They were born in 1811 in the city of Siam (Thailand) with fusion of the thoracic cartilages.

The brothers lived a long and happy life, performed in the circus, gained worldwide fame, got married and became fathers of many children (10 healthy children for one and 11 for the second).

They approached the doctor with a request for separation, but were refused. At the age of 63, Chang contracted pneumonia and died in his sleep. Eng, waking up and finding his deceased brother, also died due to intoxication after 3 hours.

Jody and Mary

The girls were born in England in 2000, fused at the pelvis, but Jodie was more developed, while Mary was anatomically completely dependent on her sister.

Doctors spent a long time persuading the parents to make a separation and save Jody's life. Mary, according to the medical opinion, had no chance of survival.

If no action was taken, the sisters would be doomed to an early death.

Parents could not make a difficult choice. But the court intervened in the situation (medics opened a legal case) and forced him to perform the operation.

As a result, the separation was successful for Jody, and, after 19 years, the girl feels great. And in her family, another sister, Rose, is growing up.

Iranian craniopagus sisters named Ladan and Lale Bijani were born in 1974.

From birth, the sisters were very different in character. With age, their interests and hobbies diverged. Each dreamed of their profession and place of residence. But they were forced to choose legal activity. Once educated, Ladan and Lale worked as lawyers.

The fused occipital bones caused a lot of discomfort. Dreaming all their lives about separation, they asked doctors about it many times. The refusal was due to high risks.

But only in 2002, a team of 28 doctors (famous and experienced surgeons) performed a 2-day continuous operation and the girls were separated. However, due to heavy blood loss, the sisters did not live even a few hours. They were buried separately, and their birthday was called "Hope Day".

Siamese twins from England were born back in 1908, united in the gluteal region. They had one pelvis and shared blood circulation.

Immediately after giving birth, their mother (barmaid) sold the children to her employer. The woman, strictly raising Daisy and Violetta, prepared a circus future for them (taught dancing and singing) in order to improve her financial situation.

From an early age until the age of 23, they performed in public, generating income for their guardians. Having received "freedom", the sisters worked in vaudeville. They died during an influenza epidemic at the age of 62 with a difference of several days.

Two Irish boys - thoracopagi, were born in 2010. The children had all the necessary organs in pairs, the problems were only with the lower limbs. At the age of 4 months in London they were able to separate. Operated by 20 doctors within 14 hours.

Now each baby has 1 full-fledged leg and a partially formed second, but prosthetics can solve this problem. The parents of the kids are happy that the rehabilitation was very easy and fast. The boys helped each other, holding hands while still in the womb, and after the separation they do not want to be separated.

The famous long-lived Guinness World Record holders are parapagi (they have two torsos, paired arms and legs, two stomachs and two hearts, but everything is one from the sternum to the groin). They were born in 1951 in the USA, where they live to this day.

Having two different characters, the brothers are forced to exist together, since separation is impossible.

Their life is arranged quite comfortably. They are looked after by their younger brother, move at home on their own, and for long distances - in a special wheelchair.

For comfortable sleep at home, an individual steel bed is installed that can withstand their weight of 183 kg and allows the brothers to sleep in a sitting position. The most difficult thing, in their words, is the understanding of the inevitable death of both in the event of the death of one of them.

Krista and Tatiana Hogan

Unique craniopagus sisters were born in 2006 in Canada. They differ in the special structure of the common brain. Each girl has her own brain with a well-developed one hemisphere and at the same time connected by a bridge with the brain of her sister, which is why operational separation is considered impossible.

Twins are a real miracle for neuroscience, because they are able to feel and control each other. They move well, propping each other up, they talk quickly, but they lag behind their peers in mental development.

Their large, loving family has signed a permit deal with National Geographic and Discovery to make a movie about their girls to help others who have the same problem.

Nothing threatens the health of the sisters, they grow and develop under the supervision of doctors and scientists.

Siamese sisters from Bohemia, born in a full-fledged family back in 1878. Their anomaly is an fusion in the pelvic part, one stomach and genitals.

The girls grew up with their mother, performed in public, thus providing for the family. They became famous for their virtuoso violin and harp playing, as well as their ability to dance, and with different partners. Despite different habits and characters, mutual understanding was the main feature of the relationship.

At the age of 28, Rosa, having fallen in love with an officer and married him, gave birth to a healthy son. The sister did not resist the wishes of her sister, although she herself was also in love, but her fiancé died of an illness.

The idea of ​​separation came to the women when Josef became ill with hepatitis. The doctors offered to save Rosa by separating before it was too late. But the sisters decided to leave this world together. What happened in 1922 with a difference of a quarter of an hour.

Sahu brothers

Indian brothers - Siamese twins Shivanath and Shivram Sahu - were born in a small village in a large family in 2001. The brothers have 2 legs and a connection at the waist facing each other.

Parents adore their sons and 5 more daughters. The boys struggled to walk, cycle to school and play croquet. However, they are great learners.

Only at the age of 12, doctors offered them separation, but the parents preferred to leave everything as it is, since the birth of such children is considered sacred. The family lives modestly, but very amicably.

In Russia and the USSR

In the Soviet Union, the authorities preferred to hide the appearance of unusual children with anomalies, and parents, under pressure, were persuaded to abandon the babies, leaving them to their fate. Particularly persistent mothers did not succumb to persuasion and took the newborns, but they were forced to solve all the problems on their own.

Born on the New Year holidays of 1950, Maria and Daria were ischiopagus (fusion of the abdominal cavity and 3 legs). The tragic fate of the girls brought them many troubles.

The doctors of the maternity hospital first told the parents that the children died of pneumonia, later they justified themselves and showed the children. The mother ended up in a psychiatric hospital for 2 years, and the father was persuaded to agree to the "documented death of his daughters" by signing the appropriate statement.

Masha and Dasha, who received a disability, were transferred to the Institute of Pediatrics for study, where for 7 years cruel experiments were carried out on them. Then they were transferred to a boarding school for the disabled. There the girls lived most of their lives.

Having difficulties in moving and losing one leg, Maria and Daria learned to walk with crutches.

The moment in their life was especially touching when, participating in the filming of the program, they first met their mother (the sisters were 35 at the time). But they only kept in touch with her for 4 years.

The cruel fate was reflected in the relationship of the sisters. As a result, they died in 2003. The cause of death was a heart attack in Maria's dream, while Daria passed away 17 hours later in the hospital.

Alina and Alisa Ignatieva

Siamese twins from Novosibirsk were born in May 2016, having a connection between their stomachs and one common liver. Since Alina was diagnosed with a heart defect, the separation operation was necessary, but carried a great risk.

Separation took place at the Filatov Moscow Clinic in the same 2016, but only Alice was saved.

After 5 months, the family reunited in their hometown. The girl grows up with two older brothers and loving parents.

Anya and Tanya Korkina

They were born on April 9, 1990 in the Chelyabinsk maternity hospital. The twins had an abdominal fusion with one liver for two. It turned out that even on the 6th month of pregnancy of the mother.

Since there was no experience of surgical separation of such twins in the USSR at that time, the risks were unpredictable. However, the girls' mother found a surgeon who performed a successful separation at the age of one month. Subsequently, he invented and patented his surgical method for the operation.

Many years later, adult full-fledged girls are always together. They were educated, participate in television programs and live with their mother in their native Chelyabinsk. Dad does not take part in their life, because he left the family after learning about the birth of special children.

Questions

Are they heterogeneous?

No, Siamese twins are always identical, and therefore of the same sex. And in 77% of cases - female.

How many live and how do they die?

The life expectancy of the "Siamese" is individual and depends on the anatomical features.

According to recorded data, most often without surgical intervention, children do not live up to 12 months.

The Gelion brothers, who were born in 1951 and live to this day, are considered centenarians.

The death of conjoined twins is very tragic: due to the illness and death of one person, the second is doomed.

The time of "slow dying" is estimated to be from 15 minutes to several days (based on known case histories). Separated people are no longer dependent on each other and can live long enough.

Have triplets been born?

Among people, there were no cases of the birth of spliced ​​triplets. However, there is the term "tricephalus", which is supposed to be called double-fused triplets.

How many passports do these people have?

How many passports to issue is determined by the number of heads.

Usually two passports per couple.

Similarly with other necessary documents: diplomas for education, driver's licenses, medical insurance.

Can they have children?

Yes, as history shows, Siamese twins can produce healthy babies. They can also be parents of many children if there is no anomaly in the development of the genital organs.

Siamese twins, like normally developed children, dream of a complete family and loving parents with whom they can overcome all obstacles and live a not always long, but bright and happy life.

In ancient times, it was believed that the birth of Siamese twins portends the end of the world. Therefore, they tried to get rid of them as soon as possible or to sacrifice them to the gods. Later, enterprising people began to earn money from them. They took the unfortunate to fairs and put on freak shows. In this compilation, we have collected the most famous and unusual Siamese twins in history.

Siamese twins Chang and Eng were born in 1811 in Siam (now Thailand). Since then, people who have grown together in the womb have been called "Siamese". When the king of Siam was informed about the birth of so many unusual twins, connected to each other at chest level with a strip of cloth, he ordered to kill this "spawn of the devil", as he considered them "harbingers of misfortune." But the mother did not give her sons to perish. She rubbed their skin with special creams to give elasticity to the tissues that connect the twins. She ensured that Eng and Chang could not only stand face to face, but also change their position more or less freely. The king later changed his mind and allowed a Scottish merchant to take them to North America.

Where later they began to work in the circus. People gladly paid to see unusual brothers. In 1829, Chang and Eng decided to leave public life, took the American surname Bunker, bought a farm in North Carolina and took up farming. Being 44 years old, they married English sisters - Sarah Ann and Adelaide Yates. The brothers bought two houses and stayed with each sister for a week, living with one or the other. Chang had ten children, Eng had nine. All children were normal. The brothers died at the age of 63.

2. Zita and Gita Rezakhanov

Sisters Zita and Gita Rezakhanov Siamese twins were born on October 19, 1991 in Kyrgyzstan in the village of Zapadnoye. Their story became widely known in a number of Russian media after a successful operation to separate the sisters was performed in 2003 in Moscow at the Filatov Central Children's Clinical Hospital. Its peculiarity was that the Rezakhanovs were ischiopagi, just like the Krivoshlyapov sisters. This is a rather rare variety of Siamese twins - about 6% of their total number. They had three legs for two and a common pelvis that needed to be divided. The missing leg was replaced with a prosthesis. The girls spent 3 years in Moscow. Zita is currently experiencing serious health problems. Since 2012, she has been in the hospital under the constant supervision of doctors. The girl spent thirteen months in various clinics in Moscow, and has now returned to her homeland and is in a hospital in Bishkek. Zita is already completely blind in one eye, she sees very poorly in the other eye, while Gita's health condition is stable.

3. Masha and Dasha Krivoshlyapov

They were born on January 4, 1950 in Moscow. When the sisters were born, the nurse of the obstetric team fainted. The girls had two heads, one body, three legs, inside they had 2 hearts and three lungs. Their mother was informed that her children were stillborn. But the compassionate nurse decided to restore justice and showed the woman her children. Her mother lost her mind, she was placed in a psychiatric clinic. The next time the sisters saw her when they were 35 years old. The father of the Siamese twins, Mikhail Krivoshlyapov, who at the time of the birth of his daughters was Beria's personal driver, under pressure from the medical leadership, signed the death certificate of his daughters and disappeared from their lives forever. Even the patronymic of the girls was given someone else's - Ivanovna. Apart from each other, the sisters had no one left.

For 7 years, the physiologist Pyotr Anokhin studied them at the Institute of Pediatrics of the USSR Academy of Medical Sciences. Then they were placed in the Central Research Institute of Traumatology and Orthopedics. There, the girls were taught to move around with crutches and given primary education. For 20 years, the sisters were "guinea pigs" for researchers. They were only worn for newspaper photos. In total, the twins lived in Soviet institutions for the disabled for about 40 years, only in 1989 they moved to their own house in Moscow. Toward the end of their life path, the disease of alcoholism began to affect their health more and more. So, Maria and Daria suffered from cirrhosis of the liver and pulmonary edema. After years of fighting against alcohol addiction, Maria went into cardiac arrest around midnight on April 13, 2003. In the morning, because of the living sister's complaints about her well-being, the "sleeping" Maria and Daria were hospitalized, then the cause of Maria's death was revealed - "acute heart attack". But for Darya, she remained fast asleep. Since the Krivoshlyapov sisters had a common circulatory system, 17 hours after Maria's death, as a result of intoxication, Daria also died.

4. Bijani Sisters

Ladan and Lale Bijani were born on January 17, 1974 in Iran. This pair of Siamese twins had fused heads. The sisters were constantly arguing. For example, about a career - Ladan wanted to be a lawyer, and Laleh wanted to be a journalist. But, one way or another, they were forced to look for compromises. The Siamese twins studied law at the University of Tehran and became lawyers. And more than anything, they wanted to separate. And in November 2002, after meeting with the Singaporean neurosurgeon Dr. Keith Goh, who managed to successfully separate the sisters Ganga and Yamuna Shrestha from Nepal, who had grown together heads, the Bijani sisters come to Singapore. Although the doctors warned them that the operation would be associated with a high risk, they still decided to operate. Their decision caused discussions in the world press.

After seven months of extensive psychiatric examinations, they were operated on July 6, 2003 at Raffles Hospital by a large international team of 28 surgeons and over a hundred support staff. They all worked in shifts. A special chair was constructed as the sisters had to be in a sitting position. The risk was great, since their brains not only had a common vein, but also fused together. The operation ended on July 8, 2003. It was announced that the sisters were in a critical condition, both having lost a large amount of blood due to complications that arose during the operation. Ladan died at 2:30 pm on the operating table, her sister Laleh died at 4:00 pm.

5. Sisters Hensel

Abigail and Brittany Hensel were born on March 7, 1990 in New Germany, Minnesota, USA. The Hensel sisters are conjoined twins who, physically remaining one, live a completely normal full life. They are dicephalic twins with one torso, two arms, two legs and three lungs. Each has its own heart and stomach, but the blood supply between them is common. The two spinal cords end in one pelvis, and they have all the organs below the waist in common. Such twins are very rare. Only four pairs of surviving dicephalic twins have been recorded in the scientific archives. Each sister controls the arm and leg on her side, and each feels touched only on her side of the body. But they coordinate their movements so well that they can walk, run, ride a bike, drive a car and swim. They learned to sing and play the piano, with Abby playing right-handed and her sister left-handed.

6 The Hilton Sisters

Daisy and Violetta were born on February 5, 1908 in the English city of Brighton. The mother of the Siamese twins, Kate Skinner, was an unmarried barmaid. The sisters were fused in the hips and buttocks, and also had a common blood circulation and a fused pelvis. However, each had its own vital organs. Mary Hilton, their mother's boss, who assisted in childbirth, apparently saw in the girls the prospect of commercial gain. And so I actually bought them from my mother and took them under my wing. From the age of three, the Hilton sisters toured throughout Europe, and then in America. Their guardians took all the money that the sisters earned. At first it was Mary Hilton, and after her death, her daughter Edith and her husband Mayer Myers continued the business. It wasn't until 1931 that their lawyer Martin J. Arnold helped the sisters free themselves from the Meyers' grip: in January 1931, they finally received their freedom and $100,000 in compensation.

After that, the sisters left street shows and began to participate in vaudeville under the name "The Hilton Sisters' Revue". And so that they could be distinguished from each other, Daisy dyed her hair blond. And besides, both began to dress differently. Both had numerous novels, but they all ended in very short marriages. In 1932, the film Freaks was released, in which the twins play themselves. And in 1951, they starred in Chained for Life, their own biopic. On January 4, 1969, after they didn't show up for work or answer the phone, their boss called the police. The twins were found dead in their home, victims of the Hong Kong flu. According to the forensic examination, Daisy died first, Violetta died two or four days later.

7. Blazek sisters

Siamese twins Rose and Joseph Blazek were born in 1878 in Bohemia. The girls were fused in the pelvis, each had lungs and a heart, but only one common stomach. When they were born, the parents turned to a local sorceress to give them advice on what to do with such unusual children. The sorceress advised to leave them without food and drink for 8 days, which was done by the parents. However, the forced hunger strike did not kill the girls, and they strangely survived. Then the sorceress said that the little ones did not appear in the light in order to fulfill a certain mission. Namely: provide your family with money. Already at the age of 1 year they were shown at local fairs. The sisters took everything they could from life. The girls became famous for their virtuoso playing the violin and harp and the ability to dance - each with her partner.

Their life together was overshadowed only once. The reason was the romantic relationship of 28-year-old Rosa with a German officer named Franz Dvorak. However, Rosa, like most women, chose to temporarily give up friendship for the sake of her lover - after all, they had common genitals with their sister - and gave birth to an absolutely healthy son, Franz. Rosa dreamed of marrying her lover, but she succeeded only after a long trial, but even after that, until the end of his life, her husband was accused of bigamy. He died in 1917 at the front while serving in the Austrian army. Josephine was also engaged to a young man, but her chosen one died of appendicitis shortly before the wedding. In 1922, while on tour in Chicago, Josepha fell ill with jaundice. The doctors offered the sisters a separation operation to save at least Rosa's life. But she refused and said: "If Josepha dies, I also want to die." Instead, Rosa ate for two to support her sister's strength, and seeing that Josepha was doomed, she wished to die with her. And so it happened: Rosa survived her by only 15 minutes.

8. Brothers Gelion

Ronnie and Donnie Galion - by far the oldest living Siamese twins - were born in 1951 in Dayton, Ohio. And they remained in the hospital for another two years, as the doctors tried to find a way to separate them. But a safe way was never found and the parents decided to leave everything as it is. From the age of four, the Siamese twins began to bring money to the family, which they received for their performances in the circus. When the children tried to go to school, the teachers kicked them out because they were too distracting for the other students. And the twins went to Central and South America, where they performed tricks in circuses and entertained people.

At the age of 39, they ended their career in the arena and came back to the USA closer to their younger brother Jim. In 2010, due to a viral infection, their health deteriorated. Blood clots formed in the lungs and Jim suggested that they move to live with him. But his house was not suitable for the disabled. But the neighbors helped, who equipped the house with everything necessary for a comfortable life for the twins. This made life much easier for Ronnie and Donnie, so much so that their health improved. In addition, Jim and his wife really enjoy being with their brothers. They fish together, go to the fair and to restaurants. Of course, many people pay attention to them and laugh at them, but there are also those who pay their restaurant bills and say kind words to them.

9 The Hogan Sisters

Krista and Tatiana Hogan were born in 2006 in Vancouver, Canada. They were healthy, had a normal weight and the only thing that distinguished them from other pairs of twins was their fused heads. In the course of numerous examinations, it turned out that the girls have a mixed nervous system and, despite different pairs of eyes, common vision. So, one of the sisters perceives information that she is not able to see, “using” at the same time the eyes of the other. This suggested that the brains of the Hogan sisters were also interconnected.

The family signed a contract with National Geographic and the Discovery Channel to shoot a documentary. The mother and grandmother of the Siamese twins have already seen some scenes from the film and were pleasantly surprised by the "respectful, scientific approach" that the director took. That is why the family refused to participate in the popular reality show. They do not need fame, and a documentary about their life can help other Siamese twins.

10. Sahu Brothers

Siamese twins Shivanath and Shivram Sahu have caused quite a stir in India. Some villagers, which is located near the city of Raipur, even began to worship them, mistaking them for the incarnation of the Buddha. When doctors advised that the 12-year-old brothers, who were born joined at the waist, could be separated, the family refused, saying they wanted to leave things as they were. The brothers have two legs and four arms. They can bathe, dress and eat themselves. Twins share the same stomach but have independent lungs and hearts.

Thanks to training, Shivanath and Shivram learned to spend on all the basic daily procedures - shower, food, toilet - with a minimum of effort. They are able to climb down the stairs of their house and even play with the neighborhood children. They especially love cricket. They are also good students and, to the pride of their caring father, Raja Kumar, are considered among the best students in their school. He is very protective of his sons and says that he will not allow them to leave their native village. By the way, the brothers have five more sisters.

News medicine

Siamese twins

If the birth of twins and twins in the world is quite common, then the birth of Siamese twins is a very rare occurrence that does not go unnoticed by the public domain. Children from birth become famous, and society follows the news regarding their health. Siamese twins today no longer cause such surprise, since several dozen cases of such a birth are known in the world.

The birth of such children is preceded by the fertilization of one egg by two sperm, but unlike ordinary monozygotic twins, the Siamese did not go through the full process of separation as embryos.

As a result, they have common internal organs and fused body parts. Unfortunately, a small percentage of Siamese twins are born alive, and only 20% survive. The reasons for their birth are not fully understood. Turning to the statistics, you can find out how many cases of birth of children with such an anomaly in the world - this is 1 case per 10 million births.

Why are they called that?
The name comes from the name of the Siam Peninsula, where the first fused twins Chang and Eng. The boys quickly got used to the peculiarities of the structure of their bodies and learned the necessary skills for life. Chang and Eng had to work in theaters for most of their lives, and upon reaching the age of 30, they started a family and gave birth to children. Died at the age of 63. Chang died first of pneumonia, and his brother died three hours later.

physical features.
As a rule, fused twins are of the same sex, often girls. Fusion can be observed in different parts of the body:

• in the chest area;
• areas of the abdomen and chest;
• splicing heads;
• in the pelvic region, when the spine is partially fused;
• splicing when each internal organs have their own.

The structural features of the body are determined by the place where the fusion is located. One body for two, but with two heads and three legs, maybe three legs, two arms and a partially fused head. Due to an anomaly, the work of internal organs is often disrupted and leads to a regression in terms of health.

Pregnancy with Siamese twins is often interrupted in the early stages, strictly controlled by doctors.

Operative separation of Siamese twins.
An operation to separate two bodies is considered easy if the fusion of the bodies occurred only in the skin. Both children have autonomous and well-formed internal organs.
In other cases, separation operations are considered very heavy and complex. The difficulties are: if the internal organs are one for two; lack of limbs; if the twins have grown together with their heads, and the brain is one for two.

Such operations are always associated with the risk of losing children, a long recovery, the need for plastic surgery.

The first separation of Siamese twins occurred in 1987.

Operated were Siamese twins, which grew together heads. They were Patrick and Benjamin Binder. They were born in Germany. The operation was not fatal, the boys survived, but remained disabled. And although the result of surgery cannot be called 100% successful, it was a huge breakthrough in medicine.

Patrick and Benjamin Binder

Russian Siamese twins

Maria and Daria Krivoshlyapova

Born in 1950. Their fate from the moment of birth was sad, they were abandoned by their parents, they lived in a home for the disabled. Due to the amputation of one leg, even such a simple skill as walking was given to them with great difficulty. After moving to Moscow, one of the sisters became addicted to alcohol, which resulted in a heart attack. A day after the death of Maria, Daria also died due to severe intoxication of the body.

Tanya and Anya Korkina

The first, successfully divided in the USSR. Siamese twins from Chelyabinsk. May 1990 It was successfully performed, surgical separation of the common liver in girls. This operation is considered unique because it uses a new splitting method.

Their story began to take shape even before birth, when mother Vera Korkina found out that her twins were Siamese twins. At that difficult moment, she was left without the support of her husband, who could not come to terms with reality and left her alone. The girls appeared on April 9, 1990. They were fused by the liver and skin; in medicine, this type of fusion is considered the easiest for surgical separation. The surgeon who decided on a serious operation was Lev Borisovich Novokreshchenov. The girls were successfully operated on, nothing threatened their lives.

After rehabilitation, it was very difficult for mother Tanya and Anya to raise the girls alone, at first doctors helped, people provided material assistance. When the hype subsided and the girls began to be slowly forgotten, and there was nowhere to wait for help, it was especially difficult for my mother.

Girls at school did not differ than outstanding, Anya dropped out of her studies and decided to go into trading. Tanya tried more to arrange her life, studied diligently, went to receive a secondary special education, but it didn’t work out.

Now the girls continue to live with their mother, lead a normal life for everyone, the fact that they were previously Siamese is only reminiscent of scars in the navel area. They are very grateful to the surgeon who gave them a second life! Were at the opening of a memorial plaque in honor of Lev Borisovich Novokreshchenov!

Sisters 2018 The girls found out about their separation operation at 10 years old.

Violetta and Evelina Yachmeneva

Siamese twins who have grown together in the abdomen and thoracic region in Altai. The parents were offered an operation to separate the girls, to which they agreed. The twins were operated on in Barnaul, the operation lasted two hours under the direction of Vladimir Kozhevnikov and Yuri Ten, the operation was successful.

Some time later, cerebral palsy was discovered in the girls, because of this, Violetta today cannot walk, hold her head, and cannot speak. Her sister Evelina is doing a little better, the girl is starting to walk and mastering speech. The girls are still under the close supervision of doctors and surgeons who carried out the separation, they follow and are interested in the fate of the twins.

Alisa and Alina Ignatieva from Novosibirsk

The fate of these babies, fused with the liver, was watched by the whole country. Even when the girls were in the womb, mother Veronica knew that the birth of Siamese twins was expected. This showed an ultrasound at 24 weeks of pregnancy. It was decided to give birth, and after the birth, to conduct an operational separation of girls. June 2016 The operation was carried out at the head of Razumovsky, a famous surgeon who successfully separated Gita and Zita Rezakhanov. This gave parents hope for a successful outcome. The operation was successful, the girls survived and were in the hospital under the supervision of doctors. During the operation, it was found that the fusion was in the cavity of the heart. Alina was diagnosed with acute heart failure, in the hospital the girl fell ill with jaundice, and after suffering from the disease, the condition of the little twin deteriorated sharply. According to the mother of the girls, the heart could not stand the disease, and 2.5 months after the successful separation, Alina died.

Alisa was discharged after 5 months in the hospital. At the moment she is with her parents in Novosibirsk, her health is assessed as satisfactory.

Abigail and Brittany Hensel US natives

They have the same body but two different heads. The operational separation of girls is impossible, since they have the same internal organs. Girls lead a very active lifestyle, study well, travel and make plans for their future lives.

Their fate deserves respect. The sisters teach mathematics, receive one salary.

In 2003, twins appeared, who were successfully separated. These were the girls Zita and Gita Rezakhanova. This operation was successful, this is the only successful case of separation. The operation was carried out in Russia. They had one common pelvis and one common leg. During the operation, the legs were amputated, later they were replaced by prostheses. The internal organs were divided in half. As a result of a long rehabilitation, the girls were able to live a normal life. The further fate of Rita and Zita is a bit sad, one of the sisters died at the age of 24. Gita's health was assessed as satisfactory.

Gita and Zita Rezakhanov.

The world knows girls who have grown together with their heads. This is Tatiana and Krista Hogan from Canada. Their peculiarity is not only physical, but also at the level of their attitude. It means that girls feel moods, they can know what their sister is thinking, they can even see for two. To date, Tatyana and Krista are constantly observed by doctors and continue to live happily in the family.

Tatiana and Christa Hogan.

The birth of Siamese twins is very rare. Today, medicine can help. Become such children autonomous from each other and lead a normal life!

A wonderful transformation for Siamese twins.