In 2001, a remarkable medical procedure took place in Singapore that set a record for the longest operation in the world. This grueling 103-hour surgery involved the separation of Ganga and Jamuna Shrestha, conjoined twins from Nepal who were joined at the head. This rare and complex condition, known as craniopagus conjoining, where twins are connected at the skull and sometimes share vital blood vessels and brain tissue, poses extraordinary challenges for surgical teams.
The operation was carried out at Singapore General Hospital by a large team of twenty doctors, along with over a hundred nursing and ancillary staff who worked in shifts. The multidisciplinary team was led by neurosurgeon Keith Goh. The surgery first involved careful planning and numerous simulations. Advanced imaging techniques were used to map out every detail of the twins’ anatomy, allowing surgeons to plan their approach meticulously.
The surgery itself was fraught with risks, including significant blood loss and the potential for neurological damage. The process required intricate work to delicately separate shared blood vessels and brain tissue, a task requiring the highest levels of precision and skill. After the successful separation, the twins underwent additional operations to reconstruct their skulls and rehabilitate from the effects of the surgery.
The effort was not only a feat of medical expertise and endurance but also an illustration of human commitment and collaboration across various specialties. The challenges of such medical procedures underscore the complexities of conjoined twin separations, each case presenting unique hurdles based on how and where the twins are joined.
The successful separation had a significant impact on the medical community, broadening understanding and refining the techniques used in similar cases thereafter. For the twins, it marked a dramatic transformation in their lives, offering them new prospects of independent living that were previously unimaginable. This operation remains a testament to the incredible achievements of modern medicine when combined with teamwork and innovative surgical practices.
