Occurs in 1 in 100,000 births, 17-year-old Indian man has 'parasitic' twin removed

Indian surgeons in Delhi have performed an operation on a 17-year-old boy to remove a "parasitic" twin in his abdomen.

A parasitic twin is an underdeveloped fetus that survives entirely thanks to the host twin. They form when the fetus partially develops while attached to its twin. These are very rare cases, occurring in 1 in 100,000 births.

The teenager had extra limbs and a functioning pelvis thanks to an artery in his chest. He underwent a two-hour operation at AIIMS hospital, the BBC reports .

Chief surgeon Asuri Krishna said the intervention was challenging due to the patient's age.

“ Only 40-50 cases of parasitic twins have been documented in the world medical literature, and in these cases, intervention has been attempted in children.”  Without sufficient literature available, the team relied “ on intuition, skill and knowledge,”  he added.

The undeveloped fetus in the teenager weighed about 15 kilograms and protruded from the abdomen. The parasitic limbs could feel pain, touch and temperature changes.

Krishna said the first thing they did was identify the two bodies to see how connected they were. Through analysis, they discovered that the parasite was attached to the chest and was living off a blood vessel.

"But there wasn't much connection to major organs like the liver or kidneys ," the doctor explains, adding that they also found a cyst in the abdomen.

The intervention was performed in two stages: in the first, the parasitic twin was removed, and in the second, the cystic mass from the surrounding organs.

"A network of shared blood vessels, tissues, and nerves had to be separated. Care had to be taken to ensure that none of the organs or tissues were damaged."

During the procedure, the 17-year-old suffered a drop in blood pressure as 30-40% of his blood flowed to the parasitic twin. However, doctors were prepared and quickly stabilized him.

The teenager was discharged from the hospital 4 days after the procedure. He is healthy and has had no complications.

His unusual appearance had made him an object of ridicule in his neighbourhood in Unnao, Uttar Pradesh. The stares and taunts had affected his mental health, making him isolated and lonely.

" I couldn't travel anywhere or do any physical activity,"  the teenager told the Indian Express, adding that he had dropped out of school in eighth grade. He now aims to study and start a job.

Happening now...

00:00 crossword

Free scheme December 14

22:30 HAPPENING NOW

Fatal accident in Tirana

22:15 POLITICS

The municipality gave permission to Suel Çela's father to expand the food market, in addition to the socialists, also the "pro" Democratic Party of Elbasan gang

22:12 POLITICS

"I asked for a hunger strike", Kalaja: DP's national protest delayed!

21:55 POLITICS

DP will not appeal the People's Advocate to the Constitutional Court, Berisha: Let Rama enjoy it

21:41 POLITICS

"You asked for my signature for Shaban", Salianji responds to Himçi's accusations: You are being ridiculous and they consciously forced you to say it

21:36 POLITICS

"We clashed over the generator", Lapaj recounts the fight with the police outside the Prime Minister's Office

21:29 POLITICS

"The judge was not in the US, but in the campaign. Take away the word 'liar'!" Salijanj's clash with Berisha is revealed

21:13 POLITICS

Hysen Kadiu responds to Berisha: During the May 11 campaign, I worked for the DP, not for Rama! Stagnant water needs refreshing

21:04 POLITICS

'Signatures for Shaban are wrong', Agron Gjekmarkaj submits his resignation as vice president of the DP, but Berisha does not accept it!

20:55 POLITICS

''Suel Çela has blackmailed...''/ The Salianji-Noka debate on the presidency is revealed, the Elbasan MP intervenes

20:35 POLITICS

Debates within the Presidency meeting, Salianji is surrounded by journalists, Sali Berisha silently leaves the headquarters

20:29 POLITICS

"We'll take you by car for 100 thousand euros", Bislim Ahmetaj "slaps" Noka in the eye: Salianji came with a baseball bat... Flamur, come out, can you gather people?

20:26 POLITICS

Agron Gjekmarkaj resigns as vice president of the Democratic Party!

Want to read more news