It was first performed in Turkey! Conjoined twins from Pakistan were separated.

Pakistani Mirha and Minal were born conjoined at the head in September 2023. Turkey did not remain indifferent to the cry for help from the family who could not find treatment for their children in their country. President Erdogan, after pediatric brain surgeon Prof. Dr. Noor Ul Owase Jeelani from London, known for separating conjoined twins, reached out to him and explained the babies' condition, gave instructions to bring the Siamese twins to Turkey for treatment.

The babies, who were brought to Ankara in May with the organization carried out by the Ministry of Health and treated at Bilkent City Hospital, were successfully separated with a two-stage operation led by Prof. Dr. Owase Jeelani from London, pediatric brain surgeon Assoc. Dr. Harun Demirci; plastic, reconstructive and aesthetic surgeon Assoc. Dr. Hasan Murat Ergani. The last operation that gave life to the twins was performed on July 19. In this surgery, which lasted 14 hours and involved 60 healthcare professionals, the separation of the twins' conjoined head regions was successfully achieved. Health Minister Kemal Memişoğlu also visited the little babies in the past days, received information about their health conditions, and conveyed his get well wishes to the family.

"WE ARE PROUD OF OUR COUNTRY AND MEDICAL TEAM"

Speaking to AA correspondent about the babies who have recovered and are now 11 months old, Bilkent City Hospital Coordinator Chief Physician Assoc. Dr. Aziz Ahmet Surel reminded that Prof. Dr. Owase Jeelani performed the separation surgery of conjoined twins Derman and Yiğit, who were sent to the UK in 2020 under the auspices of President Erdogan and his wife Emine Erdogan. Surel stated that Prof. Dr. Owase Jeelani saw that the facilities of Bilkent City Hospital were suitable for such operations when he visited the hospital afterwards and that this process was also accepted by President Erdogan. Surel said, "Our President expressed his happiness to Prof. Dr. Owase Jeelani for performing these surgeries in Turkey as well. This process is actually the response to the invitation in 2020." He said. Surel stated that the medical team of Bilkent City Hospital has been in constant contact with Prof. Dr. Owase Jeelani and his team and the Presidency regarding the Pakistani twins since the beginning of this year, and that all medical processes of the babies were carried out at the hospital. Surel said, "A serious transfer of knowledge and experience also occurred with this operation. We are proud of our country, our hospital, and our medical team. We thank the whole team, Prof. Dr. Owase Jeelani, and his team individually. It is a great happiness that cannot be expressed in words to see the smiling and healthy faces of our babies who came with their conjoined condition and their current healthy state."

"THEY WILL CELEBRATE THEIR FIRST BIRTHDAYS SEPARATELY"

Prof. Dr. Namık Yaşar Özbek, the Chief Physician of the Children's Hospital, stated that the operation was a serious teamwork and shared the following information:

"Our babies had some problems in sitting and hand movements because they were conjoined. After the operation, these problems were solved by our neurologists, physical therapy specialists, and neurodevelopmental specialists. Our babies are now very good, they have started to use their hands, arms, and have gained head control. They have their birthdays in 10 days, and they will celebrate their first birthdays separately."

"WE INSERTED MATERIALS THAT INFLATED LIKE BALLOONS INTO THEIR HEADS IN THE FIRST SESSION"

Assoc. Dr. Hasan Murat Ergani, a faculty member of the Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Clinic at Bilkent City Hospital, said that very detailed medical planning was done before the operation and that the process was exciting and joyful for them as well. Ergani explained that before the separation procedure in the babies, a "balloon tissue expansion" surgery was performed to prevent tissue deficiency, saying, "In the first session, we placed a material that inflated like a balloon over time, did not harm the tissue, and allowed the tissue to expand. We inflated them once a week and increased the tissue. This process took about 2 months."

"IT WAS ONE OF THE UNFORGETTABLE MOMENTS OF OUR LIVES"

Ergani stated that the preparations for the second operation, where the separation would be performed, were carried out with the brain surgery team, saying, "Since the babies' brains would be open after we separated them, the tissue that would cover the brain was very important. There was a possibility of harming the children in case of any problem, so it was planned in great detail. We planned the tissues to be shared when we separated the children in the surgery on July 19." Ergani stated that the babies should not lie on the tissues after the operation to prevent circulation problems, so they stood guard at the babies' heads in the first days, saying, "It is an incredible happiness to see that our babies are healthy now. When we successfully separated them, our doctors and the whole healthcare team looked at each other, and applause broke out at that moment. It was one of the unforgettable moments of our lives."

14-HOUR SURGERY PROCESS

Pediatric brain surgeon Assoc. Dr. Harun Demirci, regarding the separation operation, stated the following:

"After all the planning and preliminary procedures, the longest part, the day of the surgery where the children would be separated, came. The whole team was ready at 06.00 in the morning. Until 09.30, the babies were prepared for anesthesia comfortably. Then the 14-hour surgery process started, and a slow and moderate surgery was planned. We had a chance for the children's brain tissues to be separate from each other. We achieved the separation of the babies with a very good pace and process."

Demirci pointed out that the babies could not use the left side due to being conjoined and said that a 6-week physical therapy process was carried out after the surgery. Assoc. Dr. Demirci continued as follows:

"At first, our babies could not get used to the separation after the surgery. They were not peaceful when they were separated from each other, so we put them in the same room even in the intensive care unit for a while, and we had to put them in the same bed in the ward for a while. Because they wanted that contact. Afterwards, they got used to being separate, and their health conditions are very good. We plan to discharge them in 2-3 weeks. They will have check-ups after three months, and their brain tissue development and bone development will be examined for a while. We hope everything will be fine."

"WE STARTED APPLAUDING AND CRYING AT THE SAME TIME"

Uzman Dr.Sibel Saydam also emphasized that it is necessary for babies to receive general anesthesia three times for examinations such as tomography and MRI before surgery, and that this procedure is quite difficult. Saydam said, "We were an anesthesia team of 11 people in the surgery, we shared two babies. During the 14-hour surgery process, we were tense in case of any complications. When it was said 'The separation process is completed' during the surgery, it was an unforgettable moment. We started applauding and crying at the same time. After the surgeries of our separated babies, they continued in two separate rooms, and then we left them in the intensive care unit one by one. It's an indescribable feeling."

"WE CONTACTED PRESIDENT ERDOĞAN"

Rehan Ali, the father of the twins, who stated that they went through very difficult times and always prayed for their children, described their process with the following words:

"Our babies were born conjoined in September 2023. We were told that their treatment could not be done in Pakistan, so we contacted Dr. Owase Jeelani in London and sent him pictures of our babies and their medical reports. He examined them and said that the separation operation was possible. However, we did not have the financial means to have the surgery done in the UK. Dr. Owase Jeelani then contacted President Erdogan and explained our situation. Thanks to this, necessary arrangements were made and we were brought here later on." The father, who emphasized that they are very happy and grateful to everyone who contributed, especially President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Ministry of Health, Bilkent City Hospital, all doctors, and healthcare workers, said, "I was very happy when I saw my babies separated, it was incredible. Now they will enter their first year of life in good health, we are very happy. We want to meet President Erdogan, we want to thank him." Mother Nazia Parveen also expressed her gratitude to President Erdogan, all doctors, and healthcare personnel, saying, "I am very happy, my babies are now healthy and in good condition."

THANKS FROM DR. OWASE JEELANI TO PAKISTANI CONJOINED TWINS IN TURKEY

Prof. Dr. Owase Jeelani, the founder of the London-based global foundation "Gemini Untwined," known for separating conjoined twins and extending a helping hand to children in this condition in different countries, conveyed the situation of the Pakistani family who reached out to him for the treatment of their children born conjoined from their heads to President Erdogan. After this meeting, the 8-month-old conjoined twins Mirha and Minal, who were brought to Turkey in May under the instruction of President Erdogan and treated at Bilkent City Hospital, were successfully separated from each other in a 14-hour operation attended by Prof. Dr. Owase Jeelani and Turkish doctors. Owase Jeelani answered AA's questions online about the surgery of the baby girls who regained their health and the process that followed.

"TURKEY HAS AN EXCELLENT HEALTHCARE SYSTEM"

Owase Jeelani, who stated that Health Minister Kemal Memişoğlu and the ministry were with them at every stage, ensured the babies' transportation from Pakistan to Ankara and their treatment at Bilkent City Hospital, said, "Turkey has an excellent healthcare system. There are three things needed for an excellent healthcare system; a vision for how the healthcare system in the country will be managed, infrastructure with the right hospitals and healthcare centers, and dedicated, talented, and right people. Turkey has all three of these, and this is unquestionable." Owase Jeelani, who has a lot of experience with the Turkish healthcare system and has seen that it works very well every time, said, "Bilkent City Hospital, where the best practices in the world and in Turkey are brought together, is one of the greatest examples of an excellent facility. They have excellent facilities and teams. There are very experienced doctors whom I really enjoy working with."