News

Doctors treating conjoined twins Tatiana and Krista Hogan-Simms have warned the family that the girls might never be separated.

The six-month-old twins, who are joined at the head, underwent a cerebral angiography Thursday morning at B.C. Children's Hospital. Doctors ordered the test to get a better look at the blood vessels in the girls' brains and the extent to which these vessels are interconnected.

The twins, who live in Vernon, B.C., have already undergone CT scans, MRIs (magnetic resonance imaging) and electrical studies on their brain circuits. In an angiography, blue dye is injected into an artery to illuminate the blood vessels.

Hospital spokesman Peter Cech said it will be at least a few more days before doctors have a definitive reading on the angiogram because it must be examined by a team of medical advisers across Canada and the United States.

However, the twins' grandmother, Louise McKay, said yesterday that Doug Cochrane, the girls' pediatric neurosurgeon, warned the family not to pin their hopes on separating the girls.

"They don't know yet," Ms. McKay said. "But he said: 'Don't get your hopes up.' "

Today, the twins' family is scheduled to meet with Dr. Cochrane for a formal briefing.

Ms. McKay said the initial news was not a big surprise: Doctors have never been optimistic that the girls would be good candidates for surgery.

Tatiana and Krista are joined at the head just above the ear, an extremely rare phenomenon that occurs in one in every 2.5 million births. The girls have separate brains, but what makes them even more unique is that a bridge of tissue connects their two brains.

Ms. McKay said the family is not disappointed with the preliminary news. "It's just nice to know. Now, we can go home."

Doctors also expressed some concern about Tatiana, who is far smaller than her sister. Tatiana's blood pressure is high and medical staff are trying to determine how to bring it down without harming Krista, whose blood pressure is normal, Ms. McKay said. Doctors plan to perform more tests on her Monday.

In a news conference last month, Dr. Cochrane said the girls were healthy and growing at a normal pace. The neurosurgeon also warned of the high risks of separating craniopagus twins: The mortality rate for twins who undergo this kind of surgery, he said, is higher that 50 per cent.

"Nature didn't make these two twins separate," he said. "She brought them together and to try and make them separate will likely occur at a cost of some sort."