Joseph and Luka Banda
Joseph Banda and Luka Banda (born January 23, 1997 in Lusaka, Zambia[1]) are formerly conjoined twins. They were born joined at the back of the skull and faced in opposite directions. In 1997, Dr. Ben Carson led a team of 50 Zambian and South African specialists to separate the 11-month old twins in a 22-hour operation.[2] They did not share any organs, but did share intricate blood vessels that flowed into each other's brains. In 2001, the twins were fitted with artificial skulls to permanently close their heads, and are neurologically normal. In an interview, Dr. Carson stated about the operation:
- "In the end, the Bandas became the first Type 2 craniopagus twins (joined at the head and facing in opposite directions) ever separated with both surviving and both being neurologically normal."[3]
They are currently residing in a low cost/high density area of Lusaka, called Chilenje South, opposite Chilenje Police Station.
References
External links
- CNN article
- BBC article
- Hopkins Medicine article
- "Commencement 2000 - Ben Carson discussion of the operation
- New York Times interview about the operation
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