The teenager was born with the legs, buttocks, and genitalia of his parasitic twin protruding from his chest.
UnsplashThis “rarest of rare” surgery was successfully performed on Feb. 8, 2025.
A 17-year-old boy in India recently underwent a groundbreaking surgery to remove a 33-pound parasitic twin.
On Feb. 8, 2025, doctors at the All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS) in Delhi successfully removed the legs, buttocks, and genitalia of a conjoined twin who never fully developed in the womb from the teen’s chest. The boy had endured years of physical pain, bullying, and limited mobility due to the growth.
After a two-hour surgery, the operation was completed without major complications, allowing the teenager to look forward to a brighter future.
An Indian Teen Undergoes A Rare Surgery
Paula Rey/FlickrThe surgery took place in Delhi, the largest city in India.
The unnamed 17-year-old boy was born with the legs, buttocks, and genitalia of his parasitic twin attached to his chest. Though he tried to seek help from other doctors near his hometown of Unnao in Uttar Pradesh throughout the years, he was told the operation would kill him. Dr. Manish Singhal, who specializes in plastic, reconstructive, and burn surgery, told the Indian Express, “He consulted local doctors, but they told him that removing the limb could be fatal because it shared a common heart with him.”
However, when physicians at AIIMS took scans of the boy, they realized that the surgery was possible. So, on Feb. 8, the teen underwent the life-changing operation.
Dr. Asuri Krishna, who led the team of surgeons, told the BBC, “A mesh of shared blood vessels, nerves, and tissues had to be separated. Care had to be taken to see that none of the host’s organs or tissues were damaged.”
The 33-pound parasitic twin was supported by a blood supply coming from a vessel in the teen’s chest, and the boy’s blood pressure plummeted during the surgery because up to 40 percent of his blood volume flowed to the limbs. However, the operation was successfully completed in just two-and-a-half hours with no major complications.
AIIMS/NDTVThe teen with the parasitic twin protruding from his chest.
The removal of the parasitic twin was an immense relief for the teenager, who had faced years of bullying. As Dr. Singhal told the Indian Express, “People often misunderstood him, and he felt isolated, spending much of his childhood alone.” What’s more, the limbs were receptive to pain, touch, and a change in temperature, making their existence particularly uncomfortable.
“I couldn’t travel anywhere or do any physical activity,” the boy told the Indian Express. He even dropped out of school in the eighth grade due to the treatment he faced from his peers.
And while the parasitic twin negatively impacted the teen’s social life, it also presented serious health issues. Parasitic twins have been known to cause cardiovascular and neurological issues as individuals age. With his future at risk, the teen was desperate to find a solution.
He recovered quickly from his surgery and went home after only four days in the hospital. Now, he has been inspired to take on the world.
“I hope to study and get a job,” the boy said. “A new world has opened up to me.”
The Origins Of Parasitic Twins
This Delhi teen was not the first person to live with a parasitic twin, but the phenomenon is exceedingly rare. “Only 40 to 50 cases of parasitic twins have been documented in world medical literature,” Dr. Krishna told the BBC.
One of the most famous cases of parasitic twins was that of Jean Libbera, a 20th-century circus performer who had a twin protruding from his abdomen. Dubbed the “Double-Bodied Man,” Libbera performed in sideshows around the world alongside his parasitic twin named Jacques, who had two arms, two legs, and a partially formed head.
Public DomainJacques Libbera, a 20th-century performer who had a parasitic twin protruding from his abdomen.
But what causes parasitic twins? Most experts agree that the condition is the result of issues with embryonic fission and fusion. After conception, the cluster of cells forming an embryo can split, resulting in identical twins in traditional cases.
However, if the embryo does not split completely or joins back together later in the developmental process, this can result in conjoined twins. According to some theories, parasitic twins occur when one fetus in a pair of conjoined twins suddenly dies and stops developing while its sibling continues to grow normally.
Since parasitic twins are so rare, surgeries to remove them are dangerous and unprecedented. In the case of the Delhi teen, doctors emphasized how they had to use intuition, skill, and knowledge to guide the operation due to a lack of guidance from medical literature.
Luckily, their hard work has transformed the life of a young teenager for the better.
After reading about the parasitic twin removed from a teenager in India, learn about Frank Lentini, the sideshow performer who had three legs due to a parasitic twin. Then, go inside the story of Chang and Eng Bunker, the “original” conjoined twins who performed across the United States in the 19th century.
