The surviving Nepalese conjoined twin who underwent a marathon operation in Singapore seven years ago is to return to the city-state in September for reconstructive skull surgery, a report said Sunday.

Surgeon Keith Goh, who led the operation to separate the girls who were born with fused skulls, intends to bring eight-year-old Jamuna Shrestha back to assess her condition and see how he can begin work on a cranioplasty, or rebuilding of the skull, the Sunday Times said.

"Jamuna's health and recovery are of paramount importance. We will figure out a solution, no matter what," Goh was quoted as saying about the efforts made to bring the surviving twin back to Singapore for the surgery.

Her sister Ganga Shrestha died in July from respiratory problems at a hospital in Kathmandu where she was being treated for pneumonia and meningitis.

Her death triggered comments from a Nepalese doctor that the Singapore surgeons who operated on the sisters failed to provide adequate post-operative care for them.

The operation to separate the twins left Ganga with brain damage and Jamuna unable to walk. They returned to Singapore in 2005 for additional treatment before going home to Nepal.

Goh had said previously the girls were not fit enough for reconstructive skull surgery when he saw them in 2005.

Ganga and Jamuna were separated by a team of neurosurgeons at Singapore General Hospital in a 97-hour operation performed free of charge in 2001.

Singaporeans raised more than 660,000 dollars (now 484,000 US) to help the girls.

Source-AFP
SRM