/ 14 September 2007

Twins doing well after separation surgery

Twins Danielle and Danika Lowton were doing well a week after the operation that separated them, the Arwyp Hospital said on Friday.

Spokesperson Henry du Plooy said Dr Wale Adedipe, Arwyp Medical Centre’s resident neurosurgeon, reported that the twins were doing ”very well” after he visited them on Friday.

”Dr Adedipe saw the girls this morning, they are doing very well … their personalities are coming through,” Du Plooy said.

The girls would not be discharged just yet.

The twins were born on June 21 2006 at the Arwyp Hospital on Gauteng’s East Rand and were joined at the head, facing away from each other.

The operation to separate them lasted 16 hours and was conducted by a team including four neurosurgeons and seven anaesthetists.

The two were taken off sedatives for the first time since the operation on Tuesday.

Doctors conducting the surgery included head of neurosurgery at the Chris Hani-Baragwanath Hospital, Professor Rasik Gopal, Professor Samuel Mokgokong from the University of Limpopo and Dr Patrick Lekgwara. — Sapa