Conjoined Twin Dies During Surgery to Separate Him from Brother, Who Died Shortly After Their Birth

Conjoined twins have died, with one brother’s death occurring hours after the other’s.

Marcos and Matheus were born connected at the hip at a hospital in Brazil on Jan. 6, and twenty-four hours later, they underwent colostomy and vesicostomy surgery, according to a news release from the Goiás State Government.

The colostomy, a surgical procedure that creates an opening for stool and gas to exit the body, and the vesicostomy, a similar operation for urine, were performed by pediatric surgeon Zacharias Calil and went well, the release said, and the newborns remained in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).

Soon after, however, complications arose, leading to the deaths of both boys.

In a social media statement, Calil said, “In the early hours of [Jan. 8], one of the conjoined twins suffered successive cardiorespiratory arrests and passed away.”

“Given the seriousness of the situation, we performed emergency surgery to separate the brothers, in an attempt to save the second baby. The surgery was technically successful, however, despite all the efforts of the medical and neonatology team, the second newborn also did not survive,” he continued.

Added Calil: “I sympathize with the family at this moment of immense pain and reaffirm my commitment to medicine based on ethics, responsibility and humanization.”

A follow-up Instagram post showed Calil talking with media about the tragedy.

In his caption, the doctor described the conjured twin’s death as “one of the most challenging situations in medicine.”

“Moments like this harshly remind us that our commitment is to fight until the very last moment with skill, responsibility and humanity,” he added.

Marcos and Matheus were born to mom Raylane Siqueira de Oliveira and dad Maycon Alex Rodrigues Araújo, according to the Goiás State Government.

Siqueira de Oliveira was 34 weeks pregnant when she gave birth to her twins, the government said.

Marcos and Matheus were classified as ischiopagus, which the Goiás State Government said is “a rare twinning condition in which the babies are born connected at the hip and may share anatomical structures, requiring intensive care from birth.”

Conjoined twins have died, with one brother’s death occurring hours after the other’s.

Marcos and Matheus were born connected at the hip at a hospital in Brazil on Jan. 6, and twenty-four hours later, they underwent colostomy and vesicostomy surgery, according to a news release from the Goiás State Government.

The colostomy, a surgical procedure that creates an opening for stool and gas to exit the body, and the vesicostomy, a similar operation for urine, were performed by pediatric surgeon Zacharias Calil and went well, the release said, and the newborns remained in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).

Soon after, however, complications arose, leading to the deaths of both boys.

In a social media statement, Calil said, “In the early hours of [Jan. 8], one of the conjoined twins suffered successive cardiorespiratory arrests and passed away.”

“Given the seriousness of the situation, we performed emergency surgery to separate the brothers, in an attempt to save the second baby. The surgery was technically successful, however, despite all the efforts of the medical and neonatology team, the second newborn also did not survive,” he continued.

Added Calil: “I sympathize with the family at this moment of immense pain and reaffirm my commitment to medicine based on ethics, responsibility and humanization.”

A follow-up Instagram post showed Calil talking with media about the tragedy.

In his caption, the doctor described the conjured twin’s death as “one of the most challenging situations in medicine.”

“Moments like this harshly remind us that our commitment is to fight until the very last moment with skill, responsibility and humanity,” he added.

Marcos and Matheus were born to mom Raylane Siqueira de Oliveira and dad Maycon Alex Rodrigues Araújo, according to the Goiás State Government.

Siqueira de Oliveira was 34 weeks pregnant when she gave birth to her twins, the government said.

Marcos and Matheus were classified as ischiopagus, which the Goiás State Government said is “a rare twinning condition in which the babies are born connected at the hip and may share anatomical structures, requiring intensive care from birth.”