Physicians at Banner Maternal-Fetal Center safely deliver conjoined twins; babies receive ongoing care at Phoenix Children’s Hospital
Update
Dr. Clewell (left) and Dr. Lam are set to
deliver the Mendoza twins. The conjoined
twins were delivered on Aug. 13 at Banner
Good Samaritan Medical Center. |
PHOENIX (Aug. 14, 2008) — On Wednesday, Aug. 13, a perinatal team at Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center delivered conjoined twin babies to a Kingman, Ariz., family by Caesarian section at 10:38 a.m. after a 32-week, 4-day pregnancy.
Parents Ashley Frank and Johnny Mendoza first learned of the twins when her obstetrician saw something he couldn’t confirm during a scheduled ultrasound in May. A referral visit to a Valley perinatologist confirmed that Ms. Frank was not only having twins, but that the twins were connected at the abdomen.
According to fetal ultrasound specialist Dr. William Clewell, the decision to deliver the twins came after a recent ultrasound found a decrease in the amniotic fluid surrounding the twins. “A few weeks ago, everything was looking fine for the twins,” Dr. Clewell said. “Her most recent scan, though, revealed a near-complete absence of amniotic fluid and an enlarged bladder.
“That told us that the babies were developing a urinary tract obstruction and the blockage was putting both fetuses in danger. Since they were at 32 weeks gestation, they are of an age where they have sufficient respiratory and cardiac function to survive and grow out of the womb,” Dr. Clewell added.
The Mendoza twins are joined at the abdomen, from the diaphragm to the lower torso. They have all of their own limbs and organs but share a liver. Their sex is unclear at this time. The family explains, “They were born together.”
Ms. Frank has two older daughters, Manuela, 2, and Adianna, 1.
Dr. Greg Martin delivers the Mendoza twins
to a Phoenix Children's Hospital neonatology
team waiting to assess the newborn twins'
health. |
After their birth, the twins were transferred the Newborn Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Phoenix Children's Hospital located inside Banner Good Samaritan. Further information on future surgery plans is available from Phoenix Children’s Hospital.
The twins are believed to be the first live conjoined twins born at Banner Good Samaritan in more than 20 years. The hospital was chosen to be the site of the delivery due to the state-of-the art Banner Maternal-Fetal Center and Phoenix Children’s Hospital. The physicians, nurses and staff at these two institutions have developed an international reputation for their care and management of women experiencing high-risk pregnancies, including high-order multiples (quadruplets or more).
The Banner Maternal-Fetal Center, directed by Dr. Garrett Lam and Dr. Clewell, was established earlier this year to offer diagnosis and treatment for women whose unborn children have congenital defects or medical issues that need monitoring or intervention prior to birth.
Patients at the center are cared for by specialized physicians that together form one of the country’s leading perinatal groups. Mothers and their high-risk babies have access to comprehensive specialty care 24 hours a day at Banner Good Samaritan. Well before the babies are delivered, neonatal specialists collaborate and begin planning care.
The Banner Maternal-Fetal Center at Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center offers services that are unique in Arizona and the Southwest, including:
- Consultation and care for all fetal abnormalities
- Detailed sonographic assessment of fetal anatomy
- Fetal MRI and Diagnosis
- 1st and 2nd trimester genetic screening
- Genetic counseling
- Diagnostic genetic testing (CVS and amniocenteses)
- Specialized Doppler assessments of fetal blood flow
- Fetal bood sampling and intrauterine transfusions
- Laser therapy for twin-to-twin transfusion
- In-utero cord occlusions for parasitic twin sequence
- Fetal shunt placement
- Abdominal cerclage for cervical incompetence which cannot be managed by conventional cervical cerclage.
According to the American Pediatric Surgical Association, twin births occur in approximately one of every 90 births (both identical and fraternal). Conjoined twins, which are identical, occur with a frequency of approximately one in 50,000 to 100,000 live births, according to various studies. Incomplete separation of twins (thus conjoined) occurs when twinning happens weeks, rather than days, after conception.
Update:
A benefit account has been set up for the family at Mohave State Bank under “Mendoza Twins.” Checks should be mailed to:
- Attn: Mendoza Twins
Mohave State Bank
2202 Hualapai Mountain Road
Kingman, AZ 86409
For more information, please call Mary with the Kiwanis Club in Kingman at (928) 279-2523.
About Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center
Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center has been providing medical care to Arizona and the Southwest since 1911. Banner Good Samaritan is owned and operated by Phoenix-based Banner Health, a nonprofit organization, and is a flagship hospital within the system. The hospital was recently named for a ninth year to U.S.News & World Report’s “America’s Best Hospitals” list for Gastroenterology, Gynecology, Heart and Heart Surgery, and Kidney Disease. Banner Good Samaritan has been recognized as a Magnet facility by the American Nurses Credentialing Center, the highest honor a hospital can earn for its nursing care and practices. For more information about Banner Good Samaritan, please visit www.BannerHealth.com, keyword: “Good Sam.”
Contact:
Banner Good Samaritan Public Relations
(602) 239-4411
Read the article in The Arizona Republic