SURGICAL SEPARATION IN CRANIOPAGUS

Abstract

On Sept. 16, 1951, craniopagus twins were born in Rock Island, Ill. The record of the birth and course during the first six weeks has been adequately described by Durr.¹The present preliminary communication will give a résumé of the sequence of events that led to the eventual surgical separation of the twins and of the post-operative course. The babies were admitted to the University of Illinois Hospitals on Oct. 2, 1951. They were in a conjoined state of craniopagus parietalis (fig. 1). Their general condition was good, with normal increments of growth and neuromuscular development. Their measurements on the Stuart-Vickers tables ranged from the 25th to the 50th percentile for their age. The babies had obviously independent activities; they slept at different times, could eat at separate times, made separate movements, had independent bowel and bladder functions, and had individual body temperatures. In all, there was clinical evidence