Siamese twins are identical twins who were born bonded to one another in one or several regions of the body such as head, trunk, shoulders, or back, for example. In addition, there may also be organs that are used in common by the Siamese, such as lung, heart, or brain, for example.
Siamese twins occur when an ovum is fertilized twice, not separating properly into two. After fertilization, the egg is expected to separate into two up to a maximum of 12 days, but due to a mutation this can happen, and the cells form parts of the body or organs in common. In some cases, the Siamese twins can be detected during pregnancy by performing routine ultrasonography.
Which parts of the body can be joined
There are different parts of the body that can be shared by Siamese twins, which depend on the region where the twins are connected, such as:
- Shoulder;
- Head;
- Waist, hip or pelvis;
- Chest or belly;
- Back or base of spine.
In addition, there are many cases where the brothers share a single trunk and a set of lower limbs, and there is a sharing of organs among them.
Is it possible to separate Siamese twins?
Surgeries allow the separation of the Siamese twins, and the complexity of the surgery depends on the extent of the shared body regions. Learn more about this type of Surgery for Siamese Twins.
It has been possible to separate Siamese twins united by the head, pelvis, base of the spine, thorax, abdomen and basin, but these are surgeries that represent great risks for siblings, especially if they share organs with each other.
If surgery is not possible or if the twins choose to remain united, they can live together for many years, having a normal life when possible.
