Conjoined Twin Dies After Separation in Chile, Sister Still Fighting
The 10-month-old Chilean girl who was separated from her conjoined twin died on Sunday of general organ failure, according to the Director of a Chilean children's hospital.
Maria Jose suffered "a flaw in the right side of the heart as a consequence of pulmonary hypertension that afflicted her since her birth," according to a statement from Luis Calvo Mackenna Hospital.
Maria Jose Paredes was separated from her twin sister Maria Paz at Luis Calvo Mackenna Hospital last Tuesday. The two were divided at the thorax, abdomen, and pelvis in a 20-hour surgery. After the procedure, Maria Jose had cardiac complications and had to be revived three times.
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According to a statement from hospital Director Osvaldo Artaza, Maria Paz is now clinging to life. Maria Paz is in stable condition and her kidneys are beginning to work.
All of Maria Jose’s organs were affected by the procedure, and while "recognizing the delicate state of Maria Paz, we are hopeful," Artaza said.
"We are conscious that we made every effort," Artaza said. "It's a moment of deep pain, of deep grieving.”
Approximately 35 percent of conjoined twins survive just one day, while the total survival rate of conjoined twins ranges between 5 and 25 percent, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center.
News of the conjoined twins’ surgery has made top headlines throughout the Chilean media for the past week. The twin girls were born in Loncoche, a town about 470 miles south of Santiago. Their entire lives have been spent under close hospital care.
