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Indian separation op "a success"

07/11/2007

Doctors say they have successfully performed separation surgery on a two-year-old Indian girl who was born with four arms and four legs.

Lakshmi Tatma was born conjoined to what was effectively her headless, undeveloped twin sister.

She was also born with organs from the undeveloped foetus.

More than 30 medics at Sparsh hospital in Bangalore spent 27 hours operating on Lakshmi.

Head surgeon Sharan Patil said the young girl, who could not walk in her previous state, is "safe and doing well". It is hoped that the operation will mean that she will now live beyond adolescence.

"We will keep a close watch on her for the next 48 to 72 hours and won't move from the hospital until she stabilises," Dr Patil added.

The hospital agreed to perform the expensive operation for free after she was brought to Bangalore by her father, a labourer from Bihar state.

Members of her home village consider her to be like Lakshmi, the four-armed Hindu goddess of wealth.