The hospital director, Prof. Cita Rosita Sigit Prakoeswa, announced on Tuesday that the twins had an ischiopagus condition, which means they were joined at their pelvis or lower part of their body.
"Praise be to God, the 18-hour surgery proceeded smoothly, and the twins survived. The medical team informed us that their conditions are stable, and they are happy," Prakoeswa stated.
"The surgery to separate twins Azizah and Azzahra involved 126 medical personnel," she noted.
Following the successful separation, the hospital head instructed health officers to monitor the twins' post-surgery condition once they returned to their hometown in Ngawi District, some 150 km west of Surabaya.
"We also expect our colleagues in Ngawi to communicate with us regularly," she added.
Meanwhile, East Java acting governor Adhy Karyono, who visited the former conjoined twins, commended the hospital team for its expertise in performing the surgery. He added that the twins will be transferred to Ngawi Regional Hospital for further treatment.
He highlighted that Dr Soetomo Hospital's conjoined twin treatment facility was established in 1975. The tertiary medical facility has since provided care to 131 cases of conjoined twins.
Karyono affirmed that Bank Jatim, a provincial government-owned bank, would fully cover the treatment costs for the twins since the state health insurer, BPJS Kesehatan, does not cover the separation surgery for conjoined twins.
Ngawi District Head, Ony Anwar Harsono, also confirmed that the cost for the conjoined twins' separation surgery covered by Bank Jatim was Rp600 million (US$36,879.78).
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Translator: Willi Irawan, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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