RIYADH, 30 April 2007 — One of the Cameroonian conjoined twins, who were separated by surgery at the King Abdul Aziz Medical City (KAMC) nine days ago, has shown remarkable progress, doctors said yesterday. Surgeons removed the artificial respirator from the girl called Shefbou and began orally feeding her since Saturday.
The mother of the twins, Emmevena Nyamale, and their father, James Akumpu, were overwhelmed that Shefbou’s artificial respirator had been removed and that both twins were in stable condition. The parents hope Shefbou’s sister Phambom will soon follow suit.
They thanked Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah, who instructed the KAMC authorities to perform the separation surgery on the 13-month-old twins after an appeal by them at his personal expense. They also expressed their appreciation for the efforts of the medical team who performed the operation, especially Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, head of the Medical and Surgical Team and chief executive officer of KAMC.
“Both Phambom and Shefbou are in stable condition but Shefbou’s recovery has been faster than her sister’s,” said Dr. Al-Rabeeah. He added that the respiratory and digestive systems as well as the liver functions of the twins are normal. Twenty-four hours after disconnecting the artificial respirator, Shefbou started natural feeding through the mouth and has not shown any signs of complications.
As for Phambom, Dr. Al-Rabeeah said she is still on artificial respiration due to hypertension in the pulmonary artery. The medical team has been administering the necessary medications to her. It is expected that she will stay on the respirator for a few more days. However, he added that there have been no complications.
