Tactile Imaging Used in Conjoined Twins Surgery

Surgeons have done what many thought to be impossible, they successfully separated conjoined twins, joined since birth at the head. Utilizing a tactile anatomic modeling technology before each stage of surgery, the surgeons were able to successfully separate the twins in a complicated surgical approach.

The surgical team at Childrens Hospital of Montefiore (Bronx, NY, USA) decided on an innovative stages surgical approach. From October 2003 until August 2004, a series of four surgeries were used to gradually separate the crucial blood vessels of the brain conjoining the Filipino twins, Carl and Clarence. The surgeons utilized a tactile imaging technology called ClearView Anatomical Models, developed by Medical Modeling (Golden, CO, USA), before each surgery, up to and including the final separation procedure. Both children were breathing without a ventilator and recovering at a very fast pace after the final surgery.

The technology consisted of plastic replica models that were produced using the stereolithography process, allowing for hands-on surgical planning. Several translucent models of the bone structure highlighting the brain vessels in pink were generated from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) imaging studies. This tactile imaging technology is a relatively new development in medicine and converts MRI and CT scans into physical models. These precise plastic replicas of brains, bone structure, and even blood vessels are rapidly becoming a standard of care in the treatment of traumatic or acquired defects, many of which occur in children.

Recent high-profile cases in which this technology has been used include Egyptian conjoined twins successfully separated in October 2003 at Childrens Medical Center (Dallas, TX, USA), and another set of conjoined twins successfully separated in June 2004 at the Child [U.S.] National Medical Center (Bethesda, MD, USA). In these earlier surgeries, the surgeons credit the models with helping influence the outcome in a very effective way, allowing for exceptional planning.




Related Links:
Childrens Hospital of Montefiore
Medical Modeling