The Social Security Service (CCSS) in Costa Rica revealed that the institution invested over $246 thousand (USD) on the attention of Samuel one of the former siamese twins that underwent a separation surgery back in February 23, 2018 which extender for about 18 hours.

“The data comes from an analysis carried out by the subarea of Hospital Expenses of the Financial Management, in which variables were taken into consideration including hospitalization, surgeries, lab tests, x-rays, blood transfusions and medicines”, details the CCSS.

“The expenses in attention included those from the first day he was entered into the National Children’s Hospital on Febuary 20 and until his release in May 25. This are net expenses since the Hospital does not have any profit”, detailed Freddy Salazar from the Hospital Expenses subarea.

This data is only partial, since the total in expenses for Ezequiel, the other twin, have not been considered into this amount, since he had to stay hospitalized for a longer period of time and was just allowed to go home last Wednesday.

Olga Arguedas, director of the National Children’s Hospital, highlighted the importance of this information, which reflects the spirit of solidarity of the CCSS and the victory this surgery represented for the health center, the CCSS and the country in general.

Physicians actually estimated that the twins were going to require at least six months of hospitalization, but they evolved better than expected, Samuel went home after only a little over three months while Ezequiel required a total of four months in the health center.

Ezequiel and Samuel were conjoined by the top of their heads, didn’t share brain or cerebellum but did share veins, arteries and corpus callosum (the part of the mind that allows communication between the two hemispheres of the brain). The characteristics of the procedure made this one of the most complex surgeries done in the National Children’s Hospital and required the assistance of 20 specialists and over 18 hours of work.

The children must remain under medical control of a multidisciplinary team twice a week and now their recovery focuses in physical rehabilitation.