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Surgery for Girl with Eight Limbs a Success
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by apple_lipsis | November 8, 2007 at 10:29 am
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Doctors in Bangalore, India have successfully operated on a 2-year-old girl born with four arms and four legs. It took a team of 36 surgeons, 27 hours to remove Lakshmi Tatma's parasitic twin. Parasitic twins occur when twin embryos do not fully separate in the womb and one twin stops developing and attaches itself to the other healthy twin. In Lakshmi's case her headless twin is joined at the pelvis. Lakshmi is still under under observation but doctors say she is stable and recovering.
When Lakshmi was born into a poor, rural Indian family, villagers in the remote settlement of Rampur Kodar Katti in the northern state of Bihar believed she was sacred. As news of her birth spread, locals waited in line for a blessing from the baby.Her parents, Shambhu and Poonam Tatma, named the girl after the Hindu goddess of wealth who has four arms. However, they were forced to keep her in hiding after they were approached by men offering money in exchange for putting their daughter in a circus.
The couple, who earn just $1 a day as casual laborers, wanted her to have the operation but were unable to pay for the rare procedure, which has never before been performed in India.
After Patil visited the girl in her village from Narayana Health City hospital in Bangalore, the hospital's foundation agreed to fund the $200,000 operation.
The operation is being conducted by specialists in pediatrics, neurosurgery, orthopedics and plastic surgery. Without it, doctors say, Lakshmi would be unlikely to survive beyond early adolescence.
Planning for the surgery took a month, Patil said, and Lakshmi spent that month in the hospital.
Her parents are being given regular updates but are not allowed to see their daughter during the operation.
"We are quite optimistic," Patil told CNN. "We do expect that she should be able to walk normally and lead a normal life."
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Angeline S. Rodden (not verified)
Most RecentMost Recommended Comments (6)
at 12:19 on January 22nd, 2009
Great article! I was really impressed by Lakshmi's unusual case. Thanks to those people who had helped her - to the hospital's foundation that funded her operation and of course to the reconstructive surgeon who had done a great job for bringing her life into a normal one.
at 07:55 on February 6th, 2009
oh..!!!. I like your blog i impressed the all of saying, i know that your your blog will suit the all people. I know that reconstractive surgeon is to help the all peole that affecting in the sick that why i comment to you for help.
at 08:13 on February 6th, 2009
oh..nice article! I would like to tell you that i was impressed by Lakshmi's unusual case for this operation. first of all thanks to those people to help her, and of course to the<a href="http://www.womenforworldhealth.org"> list of nonprofit organizations</a> who had done great job for change her life into a normal life.
at 11:51 on February 6th, 2009
Lakshmi's case was really that unusual. Thank God! Thanks to the plastic surgery foundation in the hospital for giving her a free plastic surgery operation. Great job!
at 12:20 on February 6th, 2009
oh Ms/Mr. Lakshmi's unusual case for operation. Thanks to those to help her and the List of NonProfit Organization who had a great job!
at 12:51 on February 6th, 2009
Ms. Lakshmi's was really unusual case for that operation thanks who those to helped her and of course to the List of Nonprofit Organization and to the hospital to giving their free plastic surgeon operation. good job!