Two Brazilian twins have passed away following a high-risk birth and an emergency separation surgery in central Brazil.
A Difficult Delivery
Marcos and Mateus were born last Tuesday at a hospital in Goiania. The twins were joined at the chest, abdomen, and pelvis. They also shared three legs, a bladder, and a liver. Their mother is 22-year-old Raylane Siqueira de Oliveira. She and her husband traveled 400 miles for the specialized care.
Tragedy for Marcos
The family first learned about the conjoined twins during an ultrasound. Marcos survived for two days in a neonatal unit. However, he died on Thursday after suffering four cardiac arrests. Surgeon Zacharias Calil said his team could not reverse the arrest. “He experienced complications through the night and morning,” Calil stated.
Emergency Surgery Fails
Doctors performed emergency surgery to try to save Mateus. The medical team hoped to save him after his brother died. However, the state health department confirmed Mateus did not survive. He passed away during the complex operation at the Hemu hospital. “The surgery was technically successful, but the second newborn also did not survive,” Calil shared.
Support for Parents
The parents have two older children aged six and nearly three. They will receive counseling to help with their double loss. This tragedy follows another similar case in the same city. A conjoined twin named Aruna died there on Christmas Eve. Finally, the medical team expressed deep solidarity with the grieving family.