Doctors at a superspeciality hospital in Bangalore, who have commenced on a complicated surgery on two-year-old Lakshmi, a conjoined twin, on Tuesday successfully separated the spines.
"The condition of the child is stable," doctors said. A team of neurosurgeons have completed their part of the surgery, separated the spines, which the doctors described as the "most critical" part of the 40-hour operation that began at 7 am on Tuesday.
Dr Sharan Patil, the orthopaedic surgeon who heads the five-member core team performing the operation at Sparsh hospital, told PTI the separation of spines has been smooth without any complications.
"Paediatric surgeons are now operating and trying to separate the organs and then orthopaedic surgeons will try to reconstruct the pelvic ring," he said.
"With the reconstruction of the pelvic ring, the first stage of the surgery will be completed," Dr Patil said.
He expressed hope that the team will be able to complete the first stage of the operation on Tuesday night.
People want to build a temple for her. Lakshmi, who was born in Araria village in Bihar, was treated as a goddess thanks to the fact that she has two bodies united at the pelvis.
However, for the doctors she is an ischiopagus conjoined twin. One of the twins is headless and has two pairs of arms and legs.
Just after she was born, news of her peculiar body spread across the village and people rushed to see her with garlands.
Her parents were offered huge chunks of money to give up the baby. The villagers initially wanted to put her up on display, but later they decided that they would construct a temple and keep her on display there.
However, her parents refused all such offers and wanted to get their daughter treated.
They first went to Delhi, but the doctors there said the case was too complicated. As the parents left for their native place, a team of doctors from Sparsh hospital headed by Dr Patil rushed to Bihar and offered medical help to the parents.
They readily agreed and came down to Bangalore.
Dr Patil also said that the surgery would come up to Rs 26 lakh and the expenses would be borne by the hospital. He also said that it is a great challenge and hoped that the operation would be successful.
Dr Patil said that during the operation, there would be a risk of cerebro spinal fluid leakage when the spine is being operated.
Another surgery will have to be conducted on the child after four weeks, only after which the child would be normal.
Additional Reportage: PTI