The Importance of Physiotherapy After Separation Surgery in Pygopagus Conjoined Twins
The Importance of Physiotherapy After Separation Surgery in Pygopagus Conjoined Twins
Motor function delays are observed in pygopagus conjoined twins due to limited movement experience and deficits in proprioceptive sense. This study aimed to evaluate the neuromotor development of conjoined twins who acquired independent bodies, lives, and movements as a result of separation surgery, and to examine the effect of postoperative physiotherapy intervention on gross motor function.
The study included two cases of pygopagus conjoined twins who applied for separation surgery at Acıbadem Altunizade Hospital between 2021 and 2022. The twins were 9 months and 21 days old (A1-A2) and 23 months and 11 days old (B1-B2). After separation surgery, a conventional physiotherapy program was administered regularly for 3 months, 6 days a week, with two sessions per day, each lasting 45 minutes. The Bayley-III Developmental Screening Test (DST) was used to evaluate neuromotor development, while the Alberta Infant Motor Scale (AIMS) and the Gross Motor Function Measure-88 (GMFM-88) were used to assess gross motor development. Evaluations were performed preoperatively and at the 3rd postoperative month.
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