Joseph and Luka Banda

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Please improve this article if you can. (August 2007)

Joseph and Luka before and after the separation

Joseph Banda and Luka Banda (born 1996, in Lusaka, Zambia) are formerly conjoined twins. They were born joined at the back of the skull. In 1997 Dr. Ben Carson led a team of 50 Zambian and South African specialists to separate the 11-month old twins. The twins were joined at the head but facing opposite directions. They did not share any organs but did share intricate blood vessels that flowed into each others brain. The twins are now in school and doing well. In an interview Dr. Carson stated about the operation:

"In the end, the Bandas became the first Type 2 craniopagus twins (joined at the head and facing in opposite directions) ever separated with both surviving and both being neurologically" normal.^[1]

They are currently residing in a low cost/high density area of Lusaka, called Chilenje South, opposite Chilenje Police Station.