25 March 2007

Significant Medical Achievement Acknowledged

The Waikato District Health Board remains enormously proud of the achievements of the medical team that operated on and has continued to work with the conjoined twins separated in 2004 at Waikato Hospital.

Chief executive Malcolm Stamp today said everyone at Waikato Hospital in Hamilton was pleased to see the twin girls, born at the hospital earlier that year, doing so well. The girls featured in Sunday newspapers today, on TVNZ’s Sunday programme tonight and in the New Zealand Woman’s Weekly out tomorrow.

“We thank the family for their generous acknowledgement of the contribution our organisation has made to their excellent progress,” said Mr Stamp.

“In reference to any further comment in relation to the family we have always honoured their request for confidentiality and we will continue to do so.”

The family has appointed Wellington-based agent Glenda Hughes to act on their behalf.

However the publicity about the 2-year-old girls has again highlighted the incredible role played by a large medical team, said Mr Stamp.

There were 55 professionals at different levels involved in the process.

The operation was preceded by months of planning, organisation and preparation and involved a huge multi-disciplinary team.

The babies were pygopagus twins which means they were joined at the lower spine and pelvis. There had been fewer than 30 cases of separation of pygopagus twins reported worldwide, and this was the first such case reported in Australia and New Zealand. The operation to separate such twins has a high success rate. This was the second case of conjoined twins being separated successfully at Waikato Hospital, the first being in 1987.

Paediatric surgeon Askar Kukkady put together a team of doctors, nurses and other personnel to carry out the complicated operation. The team extensively planned and rehearsed every step of the separation before the operation started at 7am on October 5. The separation was achieved successfully in the time frame anticipated by 6am the following day.

The surgery involved seven surgeons – three paediatric, two orthopaedic, a neurosurgeon and a plastic surgeon. One of the orthopaedic surgeons and the neurosurgeon were from Auckland DHB – the others were all from Waikato. In addition there were four paediatric anaesthetists, four anaesthetic technicians, 20 nurses – including a neurosurgical nurse from Auckland – and charge nurses for paediatrics, orthopaedic, neurosurgical and plastic surgery.

Paediatric orthopaedic surgeon David Clews, who sadly passed away on Thursday, contributed immensely to the effort. Dr Clews' challenge was to separate the spines.

The twins were discharged from hospital 16 days later thanks to the excellent care from staff in the neonatal intensive care unit. Since then the twins have returned to Waikato Hospital a number of times for further reconstructive surgery.

Waikato Hospital’s director of paediatric surgery Dr Udaya Samarakkody today said the team worked well alongside each other.

“I think the friendly professional environment that exists in Waikato Hospital was the key to the success of this enormous team effort.

“We would now like to move on from this event and sacredly guard the privacy, confidentiality and provide the highest level medical care that are our key commitments to the twins and the family,” she said.
Dr Samarakkody said the work done by Dr Kukkady was a source of great pride.

“The co-operation and co-ordination of all members was quite simply fantastic,” she said.

Dr Kukkady said he had worked in several hospitals around the world but rated Waikato as the best when it came to working together as a team.

“I am extremely proud of everyone involved not only for giving their very best but also for keeping the interests of the family at heart. The end result is two happy, healthy girls living just like any other 2-year-old twins.”

The DHB’s visual communication department recorded every stage of the planning, the operation, post operative period and subsequent progress.

Several members of the team continue to maintain regular contact with the family and the twins and take great delight in noting how well they are now doing.

ENDS