In a remarkable collaboration, surgeons from the UK and Brazil employed virtual reality to achieve the separation of conjoined twins despite being 6,000 miles apart.
After a series of seven surgical procedures, a coalition of healthcare professionals from the Instituto Estadual do Cerebro Paulo Niemeyer in Rio de Janeiro, alongside Great Ormond Street Hospital in London, proclaimed a remarkable achievement: the separation of twins who had been connected at the brain, led by a team from the nonprofit organization, Gemini Untwined. virtual reality .
A release The narrative of Arthur and Bernardo, adventurous three-year-old twins once fused at the head, is brought to life by the UK-based nonprofit, Gemini Untwined—thanks to a thorough pre-operative preparation process and innovative technology, they are now destined for vibrant, independent futures. VR .
According to the release, ‘Arthur and Bernardo entered the world as craniopagus twins in a quiet rural locale in Northern Brazil back in 2018.’ Their parents, Adriely and Antonio Lima, sought specialized care for their sons at the Instituto Estadual do Cérebro Paulo Niemeyer in Rio de Janeiro, where they received attentive treatment for two and a half years.
According to the BBC Statistically, there are about fifty pairs of craniopagus twins born each year, but sadly, only fifteen of those typically survive beyond a month.
In Brazil, the medical facility reached out for guidance on separating the twins. Many declared the operation unfeasible. However, Dr. Gabriel Mufarrej, the lead pediatric surgeon, connected with Gemini Untwined, an organization specializing in such cases, noted for their successful interventions.
Founded by Dr. Noor ul Owase Jeelani in 2018, Gemini Untwined's latest operation represents his sixth separation procedure, following similar successful surgeries in regions such as Pakistan and Sudan. Israel , and Turkey.
The statement further elaborated, 'Under the leadership of Mr. Jeelani, our team dedicated countless hours alongside the local Brazilian medical staff in preparation for this complicated procedure.’ The twins faced unique challenges as they were the oldest known craniopagus twins with fused brains, which complicated the surgery due to shared critical veins.
The presence of scar tissue added another layer of difficulty to the procedure; however, the introduction of VR technology was a game-changer. It allowed the surgical team to explore a detailed 3D model of the boys’ anatomy built from CT and MRI imagery.
The specialists were able to conduct risk-free practice sessions before the actual surgery, utilizing VR to foster real-time collaboration across the Atlantic, marking a pioneering step in Brazil's surgical practices with this technology.
Mr. Jeelani remarked to the BBC that these operations represent one of the most complex medical challenges of our era, and achieving it through virtual reality felt like something out of a science fiction narrative. This intricate process took over thirty hours and involved a team of more than a hundred medical professionals, with Jeelani himself managing to take only four short breaks.
The very first successful separation of conjoined twins dates back to December 1689 in Basel, Switzerland. The infants, Elisabet and Catherina, were connected from the sternum down to their navel and underwent surgery that unfolded in two stages, eventually allowing them to recover within two weeks. Guinness notes an earlier case of attempted separation, but that surgery was only partially successful.
Medical imaging technology has evolved significantly since those early days, and virtual reality tools have become integral to modern surgical procedures, enhanced by new tracking systems that prevent image distortion when movement occurs. This is critical in scenarios where precision imaging is paramount. recent addition Recently, the successful operation to separate two conjoined newborns in Minnesota demonstrated a similar reliance on virtual reality tools, with surgeons attributing the survival of both infants to their pre-surgery VR preparations.
Last year, the Washington Post Experts have pointed out that they are not aware of any other situation where virtual reality was employed to prepare for a surgical separation of twins who shared connections at the heart. Historically, VR has previously been utilized in surgeries involving twins connected at the head in only three cases.
After such high-stress procedures, it's not uncommon for twins to experience heightened heart rates and anxiety; such emotional responses are typical among separated twins. Now that they are apart, Arthur and Bernardo will spend six months in rehabilitation, just in time to celebrate their fourth birthdays—an occasion that will allow them to share eye contact for the very first time.
Dr. Mufarrej expressed heartfelt sentiments to the BBC, saying, 'They have truly become part of our hospital family, and we are overjoyed with the success of the operation.'
Moving forward, the Instituto Estadual do Cérebro Paulo Niemeyer has been designated as a Gemini Global Partner hub, providing a location for similar cases to receive treatment throughout Latin America, creating an exchange of knowledge and expertise with Great Ormond Street Hospital.
Dr. Mufarrej explained, 'The essence of the charity is to forge a global health service that tackles exceptionally rare medical cases, aiming to enhance outcomes for these children.' He also expressed his belief that the methods they established could and ought to be adapted for treating other rare medical conditions.
If you're interested in supporting their mission, whether through VR or other means, we encourage your involvement. The Evening Standard A UAE healthcare company is set to introduce the first Metaverse-focused hospital.
Meta has developed a new AI-driven platform that is expected to advance medical research and enhance avatar technologies. making a contribution .
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vi Search Surgeons from the UK and Brazil utilize virtual reality technology to achieve the remarkable feat of separating conjoined twins located more than 6,000 miles apart as reported by the Metaverse Post.