Indian girl born with 8 limbs recovering after surgery

A two-year-old Indian girl who underwent marathon surgery to part her from her headless conjoined twin was making a steady recovery Saturday but it was too soon to declare her out of danger, doctors said.
Lakshmi, born with four arms and four legs, regained consciousness and was taken off a respirator on Friday, two days after the end of the 27-hour operation at Bangalore's Sparsh Hospital to remove the extra limbs.
Named after the four-armed Hindu goddess of wealth, Lakshmi has been under intensive care since her risky operation, the first of its kind to be performed in India.
The hospital said earlier the operation had gone well but warned it was too early to say the little girl was out of danger.
"She is making steady improvement but nothing can be said right now," said hospital coordinator Mamatha Patil.
"We will keep her under observation in the ICU (Intensive Care Unit) for more time."
Doctors, who are said to be bullish about Lakshmi's long-term prospects of leading a normal life, described her condition as "stable."
After regaining consciousness Lakshmi was in good spirits and able to open her eyes, recognise her parents and move her fingers and toes slowly, the hospital said.
The parents, from a remote district in poverty-hit eastern Bihar state, spent 15 minutes with her on two occasions on Friday, doctors said.
"I have just these doctors to thank for this miracle", the father Shambhu, a manual labourer, was quoted as saying by the Press Trust of India.
"I consider him as God, one who has performed this miracle," he said of Dr Sharan Patil, who headed the 36-member operating team that included surgeons with a range of specialisations from paediatrics to plastic surgery.
"They say she is going to be back to normal, I believe them," he said. "It is a debt I could never repay."
Lakshmi was brought to Bangalore for the surgery by her father and mother, Poonam, now pregnant for a third time.