Conjoined twins

Abstract

Conjoined twins are relatively rare, but the anesthetic and surgical implications for their care are immense and complex. These anesthetics are not (generally) urgent; there is usually time to do a significant amount of planning that is required to coordinate the many teams involved in this care. Preoperative evaluation of these patients requires a detailed assessment of the shared anatomy. This chapter discusses the impact of the nature of the type of connection between the twins. The types of monitors required and the likelihood of shared anesthetic effect are described. Postoperative care as well as prognosis is explained.