The doctors first carried out scans which revealed that the parasitic twin was attached to the teenager’s breastbone and was receiving blood from a vessel in his chest – but did not have a significant connection with other major organs such as the liver or kidneys, Dr Krishna told the BBC.
As few as 50 such cases have been documented in medical literature worldwide and in those cases the surgery had been attempted on younger children, according to Dr Asuri Krishna, who led the team which carried out the latest “breakthrough” surgery in Delhi.
The teenager, who is said to have faced stigma as a result of his condition, said “a new world has opened up” to him following the surgery on 8 February, telling the Indian Express: “I couldn't travel anywhere or do any physical activity.”.
Prior to the surgery, the teenager from Uttar Pradesh had lived with two fully formed legs, buttocks and external genitalia protruding from his abdomen, in which doctors said he was capable of feeling pain, touch and changes in temperature.
While the teenager’s blood pressure dropped dangerously, as 30 to 40 per cent of his blood flowed to the parasitic twin, the doctors said they were prepared for this and were able to swiftly stabilise him.
