unique surgery
baby rebeca martínez was born in the dominican republic in mid-december 2003 with the head of an undeveloped twin fused to the top of her skull. the extra head has a partially formed brain, ears, eyes and lips and shares a branch of the carotid artery with the baby's brain. the operation the baby girl's condition, cranio pagus parasiticus, is so rare that there have only been eight documented cases in the world, and no known cases where surgery has been attempted to correct or to remove it. the first attempt of its kind, is scheduled to take place tomorrow. two surgical teams will be involved in the risky operation — a total of 18 people — including five doctors from university of california los angeles medical centre. if rebeca survives, she is expected to develop normally with no trace of the birth defect.nota bene: saturday, 07 february 04 - dr santiago hazim at the CURE international centre for orthopedic specialties in santo domingo informed the world that rebeca martínez died of post-surgical bleeding problems at around 6 am this morning, just hours after undergoing the delicate operation to remove her undeveloped second head. the doctors had announced the operation was successfully completed late on friday, but cautioned that the baby would face many risks as she recovered, such as infection or haemorrhaging.
links to pictures have been removed in respect and sympathy for the family's loss. they are indeed available at news sites and elsewhere if interested.
