by Judith Tan

THREE of the four twins joined at the head who were separated in operations here are dead, and the fourth is not in good shape.

Given this track record and the similarly dismal results overseas, Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan yesterday suggested that doctors reconsider plans to separate yet another pair of such conjoined twins.

Indian twins Vani and Veena, five, will go under the knife at East Shore Hospital in August if the medical team involved decides to proceed with the operation.

Three cases involving Singapore doctors

• Ganga and Jamuna Shrestha, Nepal

The 11-month-old Siamese twins underwent a marathon 97-hour operation at the Singapore General Hospital in April 2001. Ganga, the weaker of the twins, died on July 29 last year from a severe chest infection.

• Ladan and Laleh Bijani, Iran

More than 50 hours into the historic surgery at Raffles Hospital to separate them in July 2003, the sisters died from excessive blood loss - 90 minutes apart.

• Vani and Veena, India

Neurosurgeon Keith Goh, who led the teams in the previous two operations to separate craniopagus conjoined twins here, has been asked to undertake the operation of separating the five-year-olds from Hyderabad.

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