Surgery On Multi-Limbed Girl A Success

Doctors In India Say 2-Year-Old Is Safe And Stable After 24-Hour Operation

(CBS/AP)  Doctors in India completed a grueling 24-hour operation Wednesday on a girl born with four arms and four legs, and surgeons said the 2-year-old - revered by many as a reincarnated goddess - has a chance at a normal life.

The surgery went "wonderfully well," said Dr. Sharan Patil who led a team of more than 30 surgeons at a hospital in the southern city of Bangalore that performed the marathon procedure to remove the child's extra limbs, salvage her organs and rebuild her pelvis area.

"It was a difficult surgery because it was pretty much the uncharted territory for any of us," Patil said on CBS News' The Early Show. "We had to identify each structure and differentiate between what belonged to the parasitic twin and what belonged to Lakshmi."

In her brief and difficult life before the operation, Lakshmi had been both revered as a reborn god and hidden by her parents from people who allegedly wanted to sell her to a freak show, reports CBS News correspondent Mark Phillips. Now she has the prospect of a relatively normal life.

"This girl can now lead as good a life as anyone else," Patil said.

Lakshmi was born joined at the pelvis to a "parasitic twin" that stopped developing in the mother's womb. The surviving fetus absorbed the limbs, kidneys and some other body parts of the undeveloped fetus.

"This is a very rare occurrence," said pediatric surgeon Dr. Doug Miniati at the University of California, San Francisco. Miniati, who was not involved in the surgery, said it was extremely complicated but her chances of survival were greater because she had not been joined with the other fetus at the heart or brain.

The doctors worked through the night to remove the extra limbs and organs. By midnight, a team of neurologists had separated the fused spines while orthopedic surgeons removed most of the "parasite," carefully identifying which organs and internal structures belonged to the girl, Patil said.

Then began the difficult job of reconstructing the girl's lower body.

Patil believes Lakshmi will be able to walk.

"We are very optimistic she should be able to do that," the doctor told Early Show co-anchor Hannah Storm. Also, "she'll have complete control (of her arms) and she uses them normally anyway."

The operation included transplanting a good kidney into Lakshmi from the twin. The team also used tissue from the twin to help rebuild the pelvic area, one of the most complicated parts of the surgery, said Patil.

"Beyond our expectations, the reconstruction worked wonderfully well," Patil said. "We were able to bring the pelvic bones together successfully, which takes away the need for another procedure."

However, she will need more treatment and possible surgery for clubbed feet before she will be able to walk, he said.

Lakshmi's parents "were in tears and overjoyed," Patil said. "The father was the one who reacted. The mother was quite dumbfounded, really, but however, when I took her down just a little while ago to see the child, she was completely overjoyed and had the biggest smile I've seen on a face ever."

"It will be great to see our daughter have a normal body," her father Shambhu, who only goes by one name, told reporters. "We were worried for her future."

Doctors at Sparsh Hospital in Bangalore estimated the surgery cost $625,000, but they did it for free because the girl's family could not afford it.

"We are very grateful to all the doctors for seeing our plight and deciding to help us," Shambhu said.

[hariki-2009]

There is absolutely no point in debating on God, beliefs et al unless someone has a particular agenda in mind and seek to gain mileage. What the doctors have achieved is simply marvellous and the story of the recovery moistens the eyes. May all be well with the child! May she be healthy! All kudos to the team of doctors.

[moonie177]

I''m just wondering how this turned into a debate over the existance of God?? If you believe or not that''s your own business there''s no sense in arguing about it when you don''t even know if this girls family believes in God. I know if I was her mother I would simply be eternally thankfull to all those who helped my daugther have a chance at a "normal" life.

[gaye5]

nikkicatt1, you are dead right.. and I think that the whole things is wonderful.

One thing I wish to point out, is that man put poisons into our food, our immunizations, our water, our air and you blame God when things go wrong... God has not made us into puppets, however he has given us a guide line to go by and if WE wish to do this then we have harmony.. but we must NOT blame God for what man does to himself.. Because of the poisons/chemicals in everything, more and more children are dying and being born deformed, and many of these chemical''s cause fighting, and problems.
And for those who don''t believe in God, if there is a God, he has given us a free will to follow his ways or not, so that if those who believe are wrong and there isn''t a God, then they have nothing to loose, but if they are right???

[nikkicatt1]

For all of you that have to argue for or against GOD -- Who cares? Your beliefs are yours alone. When we die we will face whatever happens alone. No one elses relegion, doctrine nor opinion will count. Can''t you just be happy that this girl will lead a better life thanks to a miracle - be it manmade or from God.

[toolmangler-2009]

Hey don''''t think I will forget.
Posted by antoniof123 at 09:46 AM : Nov 07, 2007

While you are at it, don''t forget, the SCHIP plan that Bushy_baby vetoed benefited the more affluent segment of society than the truly needy. It was a BAD BILL, remember that also.

[adasher1]

I too am happy that she will make it. While I give large sums of money to organizations such as ones that perform this type of work, I would like to know what this god had to do with it? I do not follow any god, yet I give money. How many people here that DO follow some god that then do not give money, or that give money to some church that then spends it on Rolls Royce and other fine cars as the recent stories indicate? Please, there is no god except in your mind. If so, what about the children that suffer every day in Childrens Hospitals around the world that are not cured. Where is your god when it comes to them? I am in these hospitals every week, and I see no god.

[jankebenz]

Really? So how did -SHE- overcome this?

Does God give aborted fetuses coat hangers to overcome?

Christian logic is hysterical at best.

Posted by shanev137 at 11:41 AM : Nov 07, 2007

And your logic?

[shanev137]

"God gives us things to overcome everyday"
--------------

Really? So how did -SHE- overcome this?

Does God give aborted fetuses coat hangers to overcome?

Christian logic is hysterical at best.

[tireslinger]

Heroes, those docs...I don''t know. What I do know, is that to take the knowledge and skill that they possess, and use them to bring pure joy to the parent''s and what probably will be a normal life, to their daughter, makes them examples for all of us. In a world sadly enough, where there is so much hate, sadness, death, and destruction, they are examples of good, kind, and generous, human beings. Best wishes to all involved!

[sassalin]

creeper00,

If GOD had nothing to do with this who did? God gives us things to overcome everyday. I bet you she will never taking walking or running for granted...something I bet you do everyday.

I am so happy for this little girl and hope she grows up to have a long and happy life with her family.

[nanomatrix-2009]

I am thankful that doctors took this pro-bono.

[creeper00]

"Our Lord has created a miracle and seen it through to a happy ending for child and parents."
Posted by adak4 at 09:16 AM : Nov 07, 2007

This would be the same god who afflicted this child to begin with?

"god" had nothing to do with this.

[mswolfestock]

I''m so glad that the surgery was a success. The doctors are heroes - they were pretty brave to attempt the surgery. They are also heroes because they donated their services. The whole world needs more beautiful people like the doctors. It''s true that we will have a better world if we start with one child in need.

[jetlizhan]

i am thrilled! i hope she has a very happy life and eventually will be able to walk. i can only imagine the heartfelt joy and gratefulness the parents are feeling. God indeed gave them a miracle.

[antoniof123]

Well, this is what we need more of kind of makes you think why did we not get SCHIP. Oh yea it would cost too much.

Hey don''t think I will forget.

[adak4]

Our Lord has created a miracle and seen it through to a happy ending for child and parents.

[barbaraf4]

God bless this child during her healing process. She is in for much pain, but at least there is hope on the other side now.

I wish her a long and happy life.