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
- ^ Zambia: Zambian Siamese Twins Return Home Chibi Kubantu, Inter Press Service English News Wire 1998-04-09 (subscription required)
- ^ "African separated twins offer hope for 'little Marias'". CNN.com. 2002-08-10. Retrieved 2015-10-22.
- ^ Dreifus, Claudia (2000-01-04). "A CONVERSATION WITH - BENJAMIN S. CARSON - A Pioneer at a Frontier - The Brain of a Child". The New York Times. Retrieved 2015-05-29.
External links
- BBC article - Joined at the head: medical briefing Monday, 9 April, 2001
- Hopkins Medicine article [dead link]
- "Commencement 2000 - Ben Carson discussion of the operation [dead link]
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