Guide Note
Lakshmi Tatma was born with the limbs of her partially formed parasitic twin attached to her body. Tatma appeared to have four arms and four legs. She was named "Lakshmi" after the four-armed Hindu goddess of wealth. Tatma underwent a successful operation to remove her extra limbs and organs in November of 2007.
Fast Facts
- Born: 2005
- Birthplace: Bihar, India
- Named for Lakshmi, the four-armed Hindu goddess of wealth
- Joined to a parasitic twin that stopped developing in the mother's womb
- Ischiopagus: Type of conjoining in which twins are joined at the lower chest or abdomen down to the pelvis
- Separation surgery took a team of 30 doctors 27 hours
- A circus offered to buy Lakshmi as a sideshow; her parents declined
- Featured in a National Geographic special titled The Girl With Eight Limbs
Lakshmi Tatma Surgery
A non-profit foundation at Sparsh Hospital in Bangalore offered to pay for the $625,000 separation surgery Tatma required to live a normal life.
The surgery was expected to last no more than 40 hours, and doctors gave Lakshmi a 75-80% chance of survival. It took 30 doctors working shifts during a 27-hour period to successfully separate Lakshmi from her twin.
Though more surgeries will be required, she is reportedly recovering well and has taken steps on her own volition with the help of a walker.
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