In a heartbreaking turn of events, a pair of conjoined twins has died in Brazil following a high-risk delivery and a subsequent emergency operation to separate them.
A Hopeful Beginning Ends in Tragedy
Marcos and Mateus were born on Tuesday, sharing three legs and being joined at the chest, abdomen, and pelvis. Their mother, 22-year-old receptionist Raylane Siqueira de Oliveira, was reported to be recovering well and eagerly anticipating holding her newborns for the first time. The twins were immediately transferred to a neonatal intensive care unit at the Hemu hospital in Goiania, the capital of Goias state.
The situation took a devastating turn on Thursday. Marcos suffered a series of cardiac arrests and could not be revived. Lead paediatric surgeon Zacharias Calil stated, 'We did everything we could for Marcos but we were unable to reverse his cardiac arrest. He experienced complications through the night and morning.'
The Critical Decision for Separation
Faced with the loss of one twin, the medical team made the critical decision to bring forward an emergency separation surgery in a final attempt to save the surviving brother, Mateus. Dr Calil explained the gravity of the situation before the procedure, saying, 'Now we are facing a critical, extremely high-risk situation... Unfortunately there is no other alternative.'
Tragically, the effort was not successful. Regional health authorities confirmed overnight that the second baby also died during the complex operation. A spokesperson for the Goias State Health Department said, 'Even with all the specialised care and intensive support, the second baby also did not survive and passed away.'
In a follow-up message on Instagram, Dr Calil expressed his profound sadness, confirming that the surgery, while technically successful, could not save Mateus. He offered his solidarity to the family, reaffirming his 'commitment to medicine based on ethics, responsibility, and humanisation.'
A Family's Heartbreaking Journey
The twins' parents, Raylane and her husband Maycon Alex Rodrigues, 30, had travelled nearly 400 miles from their home in Canarana for the specialised delivery. The couple had only discovered Raylane was carrying conjoined twins during a routine ultrasound in the fifth month of pregnancy.
'We thought there was only one child at first,' Maycon had told Brazilian media. 'I was shocked and so was their mum. I had never seen anything like this until it happened to us.' Just before the birth, he spoke of his faith, stating, 'It's a very difficult situation but I have a lot of faith in God.'
The twins, who shared a bladder and liver, leave behind two older siblings. The devastated parents are expected to receive counselling in the wake of their double loss.
This tragedy echoes a similar case in the same city just months prior. On Christmas Eve, 18-month-old conjoined twin Aruna Rodrigues died from septic shock, seven months after a marathon 19-hour separation surgery. Her sister, Kiraz, had died days after that operation. Dr Zacharias Calil was also the lead surgeon in that case.
