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BANGALORE - A two-year-old Indian girl born with four arms, four legs and extra internal organs left hospital smiling on Saturday, nearly six weeks after doctors removed her extra limbs in a gruelling operation.
The team of around 30 medics took away what amounted to Lakshmi Tatma's headless identical twin sister who was joined at the pelvis and who did not develop and separate properly in the womb - an extremely rare case.
"I cannot say how happy we are," Lakshmi's labourer father, Shambu, told reporters as the family left Sparsh Hospital in the southern city of Bangalore for a flight home to Bihar state.
"My daughter is going to lead a normal life. We plan to build a temple in our village."
Lakshmi, named after the four-armed Hindu goddess of wealth, was expected to be in the operating theatre for 40 hours in early November, but the surgery was completed after 27.
"Lakshmi has recovered adequately. She can now stand with help," said Dr. Sharan Patil, the chairman of the hospital, which said at the time that it had paid for the treatment.
"Medically, I have no reasons to believe she will not be a normal adult," Dr. Patil added.
Doctors had said that Lakshmi, who could not walk on her deformed limbs, would not have had much chance of living past adolescence without undergoing surgery.
She will need what doctors termed corrective treatment at a later date, but is being allowed home as her parents were keen to get back to their village.
"They have been here for more than two months. We will reassess her position when she comes back in a few months," Dr Patil said.
"Doctors have given us sufficient advice on how to take care of her at home. I don't see any problems. People in our village are waiting to see her," said Shambu.
- REUTERS
