Twins Separated Successfully!!!

Yurelia and Fiorella Rocha-Arias

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Tuesday, November 13, 2007

Surgeons at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital separated Yurelia and Fiorella Rocha-Arias in a nine hour procedure on November 12:

• 6:30 am – Surgery started
• Around 11:00 am – Twins’ liver was separated
• Around 12:00 pm – Twins were completely separated and moved to separate rooms for reconstruction
• 3:30 pm – Surgery completed

Each child had her own medical team during the procedure. Two comprehensive care teams—one for each girl—with representatives from nursing, anesthesia, cardiothoracic surgery, pediatric general surgery, plastic surgery, cardiac bypass and others, were in the operating rooms throughout the entire procedure.
 
Both of the girls had heart conditions that needed repair. Fiorella’s was fixed after the separation. Cardiothoracic surgeon Frank Hanley, MD, will operate to attempt to correct Yurelia’s heart defect some time this week.

“The separation went much better than anticipated,” said Hartman. “Dozens of people worked together seamlessly, and the girls’ cardiac function actually improved when they were separated.” Each child had her own medical team during the procedure. The twins’ liver was separated at about 11 am and the girls themselves were completely separated by around noon. They were moved to separate rooms for reconstruction after they were separated. Two comprehensive care teams—one for each girl—with representatives from nursing, anesthesia, cardiothoracic surgery, pediatric general surgery, plastic surgery, cardiac bypass and others, were in the operating rooms throughout the entire procedure. “It was an extraordinary team effort,” said Hartman, noting that one onlooker compared the activity in the operating room to a symphony. 

The girls are currently recovering in the Packard Children’s Hospitalcardiovascular intensive care unit (CVICU).