法国医生近日已经为一对儿15个月大的脊柱相连的连体双胞胎成功实施分离手术。而这种手术在法国国内尚属首例。

    据美联社12月21日报道，这对双胞胎名字分别叫做穆罕默德和苏莱曼尼。12月15日，他们已成功接受分体手术。对此，法国蒂蒙医院儿科神经外科部的负责人加博利·莉娜医生表示，“这对双胞胎在手术台上一醒过来，就动了动自己的腿和脚。今天（21日），他们的病情诊断良好。”

    报道说，接受分体手术的这对双胞胎是早产儿，在母亲怀孕第26周时，他们就过早地离开了母体。当时，这对双胞胎的体重仅为每人1.7磅；他们的身体从脊柱的底部连在了一起。由于出生之前他们就被诊断出是连体婴儿，因此他们降生后就一直未出院，等待稍大时接受分体手术。

    医生说，手术面临的主要危险就是可能会导致患儿下肢瘫痪或由感染引起的可能危及患儿生命的脑膜炎。在实施手术的5个星期前，外科医生们还在双胞胎的皮肤下面植入了可膨胀的气球，以确保此次手术后，有足够的皮肤组织用来遮盖手术伤口。 医生还说，这对双胞胎目前正在共同恢复中，他们应该享受到正常的童年生活。

    报道说，此前英国、南非和加拿大曾成功进行过类似的手术。

    French doctors have successfully separated twins joined at the spine, the first operation of its kind in France, hospital officials said Wednesday.

    Fifteen-month-olds named Mohamed and Souleymane were successfully separated on Dec. 15. Similar operations have previously been performed in Britain, South Africa and Canada, the surgeons said.

    "As soon as they woke up on the operating table, the twins moved their legs and their feet. Today, their prognosis is good," said doctor Gabriel Lena, head of the pediatric neurosurgery division of the La Timone hospital.

    The twins were born prematurely at 26 weeks, weighing just 1.7 pounds each and fused at the base of the spine. Diagnosed as Siamese twins before birth, they were kept in hospital until they were old enough to be operated on.

    The main risks of the operation were paralysis of the lower limbs or infection leading to a potentially deadly meningitis.

    Surgeons said they made sure they had enough skin to cover the wound left by the operation by inserting inflatable balloons under the twins' skin five weeks before the operation.

    Mohamed and Souleymane were recovering together and should have normal childhoods, doctors predicted. Their parents wished to remain anonymous.