3D printing helps separate conjoined twins in Shanghai

Want China Times, Xinhua and Staff Reporter 2015-06-10

The twins after the procedure to separate them, June 9. (Photo/Xinhua)

With the help of 3D printing technology, doctors in Shanghai on Tuesday successfully separated three-month-old twin sisters who were conjoined at the hip.

The twins, born in Ganzhou in Jiangxi province, were connected by soft tissues at the hip and lower spine. They had mostly separate digestive systems but shared one lower bowel.

After a five-hour operation at the Children's Hospital of Fudan University in Shanghai, the twins were separated and both underwent reconstruction work on the anus, perineum and muscle surrounding the rectum.

Chief surgeon Zheng Shan said the medical team used 3D printing to build two models to represent the structure of the babies' connected parts, which helped them better understand the anatomical structure and carry out simulated surgery when making plans for the procedure.

Since 2000, the hospital has successfully separated seven pairs of conjoined twins.