2-Year-Old Boy Has Surgery to Remove Twin Brother From His Stomach

After a 2-year-old boy was rushed to the hospital with a severely bloated stomach, doctors in China were stunned to discover that he was carrying an underdeveloped fetus inside his belly.  Xiao Feng underwent an operation to “give birth” to his own parasitic twin. 

According to doctors, the unborn fetus measured 20cm in width and had also formed a spine, limbs, fingers and toes.  The fetus took up roughly two thirds of Xiao’s stomach which made it difficult for the 2-year-old to breathe. 

Conjoined twins are formed when an egg splits after fertilization but fails to completely separate.  They can survive as “parasites” but not when one is absorbed into the other twin. 

Experts believe that Xiao’s parasitic twin brother would have killed him if left untreated.