Nation witnesses first successful conjoined spine separation

In a medical milestone, 20-month-old conjoined twins Nuha and Naba were successfully separated in a 15-hour surgery at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) on Monday.

This marks the first successful separation of twins joined at the spine in Bangladesh.

The complex surgery, involving a team of 100 doctors including 39 specialists, commenced at 9am and concluded at midnight.

The twins, born with fused spines, are currently in stable condition and under intensive care.

Health Minister Samanta Lal Sen confirmed their well-being and separation after a visit on Tuesday.

"The final stage of the operation was completed successfully. Nuba and Naba are now in ICU," said BSMMU Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr Md Sharfuddin Ahmed.

BSMMU Neurosurgery Professor Dr Mohammad Hossain, who led the operation, told The Business Standard that the twins previously underwent several minor surgeries. After the final separation surgery on Monday, they have now regained consciousness and are moving their limbs.

However, due to the complexity of the surgery, a full recovery and discharge are estimated to take two months.

The twins have been under BSMMU's care since they were eight months old.

Nuha and Naba were born on 21 March 2022 to transport worker Md Alamgir Rana and his wife in Kurigram.

The couple was initially devastated, however, BSMMU's commitment, spearheaded by Dr Hossain, provided hope.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina took the initiative to bear the twins' medical costs after being contacted by hospital authorities.

The twins were admitted to BSMMU in April 2022 and underwent their first successful surgery on 31 January 2023.

The medical team for Nuha and Naba's separation operation included specialists in pediatric surgery, neurosurgery, plastic surgery, pediatric medicine, vascular surgery, anaesthesia, and transfusion medicine.

This is the third successful separation of conjoined twins in Bangladesh following operations on Tofa and Tahura in 2017 and Rabeya and Rukaya in 2019, also supported by the prime minister.