The 16-month-old pair of conjoined twins who were separated at the City Children's Hospital in HCM City were discharged on October 7. VNA/VNS.Photo Quang Châu

HCM CITY — The 16-month-old conjoined twins who were separated at the City Children's Hospital in HCM City were discharged on Wednesday (October 7) after more than 400 days at the hospital.

Eighty four days after the major surgery to separate them, they have started a journey to normal lives like many other children.

On the day of their discharge Trúc Nhi and Diệu Nhi appeared with radiant smiles.

They can sit and stand with support from their parents.

Hoàng Anh, their father, said since the day they were separated the children have been happy, and even happier now that they are able to go home.

His entire family has been looking forward to their return for a long time, he said.

"[We] thank doctors for giving them a new life, a new future.”

Dr Trương Quang Định, director of the hospital said, 84 days after their surgery the girl’s bodily functions are almost stable.

They can urinate normally and defecate with a temporary anus, he said.

Though Diệu Nhi has congenital tracheal stenosis, she ventilates normally now, he said.

Their weight is normal but not their height, and so soon doctors plan to add nutrition to help them achieve normal growth, he said.

Their legs are now straight but require physiotherapy and muscle training for a long time because the twins had earlier been only lying or sitting.

Doctors hope that by the end of the year both can walking by themselves with support.

“After their efforts, all our doctors were very happy to see Trúc Nhi and Diệu Nhi discharged from the hospital. Although the two children have a long way to go, we hope they can live a normal life like everyone else.”

The twins will require follow-up examinations and monitoring for a long time.

They will get four more surgeries. Within a month they will get one to close their temporary anuses.

The surgery to separate them and treatment cost VNĐ1.2 billion (US$51,750), of which health insurance covered more than VNĐ600 million.

Donations have amounted to VNĐ2.3 billion in cash and more in kind.

On the day of the discharge, the city Department of Health rewarded 93 doctors and nurses for performing the surgery.

The twins were born on July 6, 2019, in the city’s Hùng Vương Hospital, joined in the pelvis and abdomen, and had only one anal hole between them.

They had two bladders located on either side of their common abdomen, an open pubic joint and pelvises arranged in a circle.

On July 15 this year they were successfully separated. —VNS