Conjoined Twin Surgery Update: Baby Dominique With 4 Legs, 2 Spines Out Of Operation

A baby born with four legs and two spines was successfully recovering from her complicated surgery, doctors said Monday. Five surgeons operated on ten-month-old Dominique March 8 at Advocate Children’s Hospital in Park Ridge, Illinois to remove the additional appendages.

Dominique’s extra limbs are the result of a “parasitic twin.” Parasitic twins are a type of conjoined twins that occur when one twin stops developing inside the womb and becomes semi-absorbed into the other, according to the Embryo Project at Arizona State University. The twin is called parasitic because it’s fully reliant on the living, developed twin.

Read: Conjoined McDonald Twins Have Rocky Road To Recovery After Surgery

“It’s going rather well,” said pediatric and reconstructive surgeon Frank A. Vicari, according to Reuters. “She was only in the hospital a total of five days. She’s been home with ‘step-mom’ and just doing very, very well.”

Dominique’s story gets even more unique: the baby, originally from the Ivory Coast in West Africa, was taken in by a foster family in Chicago so she could have the surgery. Nancy Swabb, already the adoptive mother to two children, welcomed the child into her home after seeing a photo of Dominique posted online by Children’s Medical Missions West, a nonprofit that helps children receive free medical care for rare conditions.

“That photo really captured my heart,” said Swabb. “She looked so sweet.”

Without the complex surgery, Dominique would likely have not lived a long life. Her heart and lungs were working in overdrive to pump blood and support the twin she carried with her. Surgeons were able to remove the extra limbs, as well as a second bladder they found while doing x-rays beforehand. Doctors left both spines in Dominique, both so entwined that they couldn’t be sure which was hers.

“Like any child, she needs to be cared for and watched for developmental issues,” said Dr. John Ruge, a pediatric neurosurgeon at Advocate Children’s Hospital, according to CNN. “She has slightly more risk because she is built slightly more different than other children. But she looks great. We had 100 worries before surgery, and risks were high, so we’re pleased with how she’s doing.”

Dominique will be cleared sometime in April to return home to her birth family in the Ivory Coast. Until then, she’ll remain with Swabb and the rest of her foster family.

“I can’t wait for her parents to see her,” Swabb told CNN. “To give love for a certain amount of time and have a connection with a family you’ve never met is so amazing. You have that trust in each other and do the best you can to give love and care and bring her back healthy and ready for a new life.”