An operation to separate a pair of eight-month-old conjoined Tanzanian twins is to be performed at the Red Cross Children’s Hospital this week, the hospital said on Monday. Hospital spokeswoman Diana Ross said the operation on Stella and Esther Alphonce had been tentatively scheduled for Wednesday but this date still had to be confirmed. This is the second set of conjoined twins from Tanzania within the past two years, and the 34th set of conjoined twins referred to the hospital since it opened in 1956. The girls arrived at the hospital on July 1, along with their mother and a nurse who is also interpreting for the family. Ross said the Tanzanian health ministry would cover the cost of the operation. Professor Heinz Rode, who will lead the team involved in the separation, was optimistic the operation would be a success. ”Currently extensive investigations are underway to ascertain the extent of shared organs, but we are confident that the operation will be a success, with good functional results,” Rode said. Emeritus Professor Sid Cywes and Professor Alistair Millar will assist with the separation. Two teams consisting of surgeons, anaesthetists and nurses have been appointed for the operation.
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