06 NEWS SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2016 HERALDSUN.COM.AU

MHSE01Z01MA - V1

A GIRL born with three legsand missing vital parts ofher body has been rebuiltin a remarkable Melbourneoperation.

During a seven-hour sur-gery at Monash Children’sHospital — believed to be aworld-first — surgeons recon-structed the lower body andorgans of two-year-old Choity,who was brought fromBangladesh by the samepeople involved in rescuingformerly conjoined twinsTrishna and Krishna.

It was only midway throughthe November 14 surgery thefull extent of Choity’s situationwas realised — theBangladeshi baby was actuallya twin who had “soaked up”the lower body of a sister.

“Her upper body wasnormal,” Monash Children’spaediatric surgeon AssociateProfessor Chris Kimber said.

“There was one heart, twolungs, normal liver and twokidneys — but below her pelvisthere were two sets of organs.

“It was like having doubleparts of a person grown intoyour pelvis, like a bad twin.

Dr Kimber said Choityessentially had a third leggrowing out of her pelvis.

“It moved, it had musclesand nerves, but it would havebeen difficult for her to controlit,” he said.

When Choity was born onJanuary 17 last year, stunnedBangladeshi doctors had noidea what to do — or what tosay to her mother, ShimaKhatunto.

Having undergone acaesarean, Shima was notawake to share the shock of

“At first, when I saw ChoityI knew it was a rare case,” DrHasina said.

“This type of baby is consid-ered as the result of parents’sin and most of the timewomen are always blamed.”

It became apparent Choityhad a fully developed digestivesystem, so after eight days DrHasina operated to removemost of her middle leg.

Without external openingsChoity had no way of passingwaste. The surgeons also fitteda channel passing out througha hole they created next to herleft leg and saved her life bystopping toxic material leak-ing.

Six months later,Bangladeshi surgeons operat-ed again.

However, the procedurewas far from successful andthey felt there was nothingmore they could do. Choity

those around her. Responsibil-ity was passed to father AsadFakir and Shima learned of herdaughter’s condition onlywhen she finally met her fivedays later.

“When I saw the baby I wasvery excited,” Shima said. “Butwhen I saw her third leg I wasvery upset because I lost myfirst baby two years earlier assoon as she was born.”

Born to factory workers in aslum 40km north of Dhaka,with deformities never seen,nobody knew what the futureheld for Choity.

As well as a functioning andmoving third leg, Choity’slower body had no outwardsigns of the systems needed forlife — where normal openingsshould have been, Choity hadonly skin, like a Barbie doll.

Bangladeshi paediatricsurgeon Kaniz Hasina was oneof the first to see the newborn.

EXCLUSIVEGRANT MCARTHUR

Monash surgeons rebuild tot

Bangladeshi toddler Choity, 2 (left), and X-rays of her functioning, moving third leg.

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HERALDSUN.COM.AU SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2016 NEWS 07

V1 - MHSE01Z01MA

was a fatal infectionwaiting to happen.

When Choity and Shimalanded in Melbourne on July27 this year, thanks to Austra-lia’s Children First Foun-dation, it was obvious thegirl’s condition was far worsethan the scans indicated.Doubts intensified as towhether she could be helped.

Weeks of meetings ensuedas up to a dozen surgeons de-bated ways to rebuild Choity.

Dr Kimber beganconsulting with surgeons in

the US, UK and Europe.On September 12, theMonash team undertookexploratory surgery to seewhat scans could not.

As the Children FirstFoundation hosted its galaball on October 8 to raisemoney, Dr Kimber deliveredan even greater gift — he hadfound a way to save Choity.

Entering the theatre at8.20am on November 14, Dr

Kimber asserted there wouldnot be “any big moments” orstress during the surgery.

In the operation’s firststage, large sections of boneremaining from the top ofChoity’s third leg wereremoved, its muscles retainedto use as part of her new bodyand other unwanted tissuewas cut away. Then — as thesleeping girl received mildelectric shocks to tense her

muscles and reveal whichcould be incorporated intoher redesigned body —everything changed.

“Wow, wow,” Dr Kimberexclaimed loudly. “This is in-credible. We’ve never seenthis — we’ve actually foundanother set of muscles.”

The surgeons began toappreciate there wereessentially two sets of organs— and two bodies — coexist-

inging inside Choity’s lowerabdomen. They literally wentback to the drawing board,using a green marker tosketch Choity’s unique anat-omy on a whiteboard.

Finally, the reconstructionplans were revised and thefive-hour rebuilding began.

Choity also had two cer-vixes, but the decision wasmade to retain both to giveher a double chance ofbecoming a mother.

“They are separate and shewill get pregnant in one of

them — who knows whichone,” Dr Kimber said.

Shima is now full of hope,though desperate to take herbaby home and begin the lifeshe once only dreamt of.

“I am feeling very happyinside because my baby isgoing to get well, and I cantake her home well,” she said.

“I am crying, but it is a hap-piness crying.”grant.mcarthur@news.com.auEDITORIAL, PAGE 52

childrenfirstfoundation.org.au

Choity with father Asad Fakir and mother Shima Khatunto and (right) Monash surgeons operate. Pictures: TIM CARRAFA, JASON EDWARDS