Camilla Jessen
Conjoined twins die after emergency separation surgery.
Marcos and Matheus were born on Jan. 6 at a hospital in the Brazilian state of Goiás, connected at the hip.
According to the Goiás State Government, the twins were classified as ischiopagus, a rare condition in which babies are joined at the pelvis and may share vital anatomical structures.
Their mother, Raylane Siqueira de Oliveira, was 34 weeks pregnant at the time of delivery. From birth, both newborns required intensive medical care and were admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.
Early procedures
Roughly 24 hours after birth, the twins underwent two surgical procedures. A colostomy was performed to allow stool to exit the body, along with a vesicostomy to manage urine flow.
The operations were led by pediatric surgeon Zacharias Calil.
According to an official statement, the procedures were initially successful, and the babies were returned to the NICU for monitoring.
Sudden deterioration
Despite early signs of stability, the situation worsened.
In a statement shared on social media, Calil said that in the early hours of Jan. 8, one of the twins suffered repeated cardiorespiratory arrests and died.
Faced with the critical condition of the surviving baby, doctors made the decision to attempt an emergency separation surgery in a last effort to save him.
Calil said the separation itself was technically successful.
However, despite continued efforts by surgical and neonatal teams, the second newborn also died shortly afterward.
“I sympathize with the family at this moment of immense pain,” Calil said.
In a later post, the surgeon described the case as “one of the most challenging situations in medicine,” noting that doctors are bound to fight for life until the final moment.
Sources: Goiás State Government, Instagram
