Fisherman Reynaldo Garganta and his wife Vilma are set to bring their twins — who share vital organs that make separation surgery impossible — back to their hometown in Sawang Uson, Masbate today.
"We already want to go home. I don’t know if my daughters can hold on until we get home. It’s up to the Lord. He’s the only one who knows what will happen to my daughters," Reynaldo said in Filipino during a press conference yesterday at the Philippine General Hospital (PGH).
Joined from chest to abdomen, the 25-day-old twins were brought to PGH three weeks ago for possible surgery to separate them. Their condition is known as "thoracopagus," which accounts for 74 percent of cases of conjoined twins worldwide.
PGH records showed that the hospital had seen 10 thoracopagus twins since 1974. Six sets were operated on, but two of them died. Four other sets were inseparable.
Sen. Richard Gordon, who is also chairman of the Philippine National Red Cross, said PGH doctors found that "there’s nothing more that can be done for the twins medically" because of their delicate condition.
"Medically, there’s no other recourse. The twins were given a poor prognosis and their parents decided to bring them back to Masbate. We respect their decision and we’ll just try to give the twins as much care and comfort as possible," he said.
After undergoing thorough laboratory examinations, the twins were found to be sharing a liver and a gallbladder. They each have one heart, but these are joined and share three ventricles. A normal heart has four ventricles.
Dr. Jonas del Rosario, a pediatric surgeon at PGH, claimed the surgery to separate them would kill the twins. Doctors, however, could not ascertain how long the girls could survive as conjoined twins.
Del Rosario said that aside from their heart problem, the twins are also suffering from an infection in the blood. Doctors are concerned because should the twins be brought back to Masbate, they would need to be administered antibiotics intravenously. The medicines for their heart condition can be taken at home.
Gordon said the Philippine National Red Cross will continue to monitor and provide assistance to the twins even after they return to Masbate.
"Nobody knows what will happen. We want both of them to survive. I just hope that someday, science will find the answer for those in such situations," he said.