Twins Names:
Anastasia and Tatiana DogaruBirthdate:
January 13, 2004Hometown:
Of Romanian descent, the girls were born outside of Rome, Italy.Type of Conjoined Twins:
Craniopagus. The girls are conjoined at the back of the head. They share a circulatory system and some brain matter.History:
The twins had been monitored at a Dallas hospital since October 2004, and were moved to Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital University Hospital's Case Medical Center in Ohio in April 2007 to be evaluated for surgery.Medical Team:
Dr. Alan Cohen, Dr. Arun Gosain, Dr. Bahman Guyuron, Dr. Anne Lyren, Dr. Robert Tarr and other physicians, surgeons and anesthesiologists.Complications:
A June 2007 exploratory surgery revealed some problems. The dura, a membrane surrounding the brain was found to be abnormally tight, making it dangerous to cut into. Further testing revealed abnormalities in the autonomic nervous system, the part of the nervous system that controls blood pressure, that would make surgery prohibitive. Both girls were found to have heart defects that overwork their hearts.Status:
In August 2007, the medical team at Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital determined that the risks of surgical separation outweighed the potential benefit and decided not to move forward with the surgery. It is not certain whether the girls will return to Romania or remain in the United States.Other Information:
Anastasia (Anna) is the larger twin while Tatiana (Tati) is the smaller, weaker twin who faces backwards. She was born with a heart defect that was corrected by surgeons in Dallas in 2004. Tati has high blood pressure while Anna has low blood pressure, common in a shared circulatory system. Anna has a single, nonfunctioning kidney; Tati's two kidneys function for both girls. Tatiana received a feeding tube to improve her nutritional intake.
