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Extremely rare conjoined twins with 4 arms and 3 legs undergo corrective surgery
The doctors at a hospital in Indonesia disarticulated the third leg and stabilised the hip and pelvic bones of the conjoined twins so they could sit upright.
A pair of conjoined one in two million twin boys, with four arms and three legs, were born in 2018 in Indonesia. They share one penis and anus. While the two boys have normal-looking and functioning upper limbs, they were not able to sit or stand.
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They were then taken to a hospital in Indonesia due to extremely restricted mobility, and a team of doctors decided to improve it by disarticulating the third limb. Three orthopaedic surgeons also stabilised their hip and pelvic bones so they could sit upright, according to the American Journal of Case Reports.
These twins, which are scientifically known as ischiopagus tripus and are one in two million, have two more siblings. There is no family history of congenital anomalies from previous children and other family members. The journal also reported that the mother consumed no supplements or medicines, and no illness occurred during the perinatal period.
One of the twins had an underdeveloped kidney, known as left kidney hypoplasia, while the other only had one kidney.
Ischiopagus conjoined twins are joined at the pelvis and can be further categorised based on the number of legs they share. Approximately half of the ischiopagus-conjoined twins are tetrapods types, while the tripus type accounts for around 30% of cases, according to the journal.
Conjoined twins develop when an early embryo only partially separates to form two individuals or if there is a secondary fusion of monozygotic twins.
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The journal also noted that the twins may develop their own unique way of walking, which could take longer than usual. Despite being inseparable, they are distinct individuals with their own minds and personalities. One twin might become dominant, influencing the other to follow and submit, which could impact the submissive twin’s personality.
