In 2007, Dr. Sharon Patil was the head surgeron during the surgery which removed the parasital twin from Lakshmi Tatum's body. He was gracious enough to take time out of his schedule to answer some questions about the procedure./

What was your reaction when you first heard about Lakshmi’s case?

Dr. Patil: It was one of amazement, curiosity, great concern and my heart went out for the little girl and her family.

Looking back, do you feel that people of Lakshmi’s village carried any resentment towards you or the Tatmas for going through with the operation?

Dr. Patil: I did not sense any such feelings towards me or the Tatmas family. To immortalize the memory of Lakshmi Tatma, they have built a temple with a replicate idol of Lakshmi Tatma in her original form. They still feel Lakshmi has been a good omen for the village and she will bring in good fortune.

With Lakshmi’s likeness to the goddess and a strong belief that she was reincarnated in Lakshmi, was there much of a struggle to convince the Tatmas of the importance of the operation?

Dr. Patil: Not really, they felt the baby was special. However they were also very practical and worried about the wellbeing of Lakshmi for the present and also the future. They were willing partners in exploring the medical possibility of making her in to a more normal child.

How did it feel to be the first doctor to perform this surgery in India? Did you reach out to any foreign medical professionals for advice?

Dr. Patil: The sense of joy and fulfillment has been immeasurable. Even though it was my initiative and social commitment towards the cause, there was an entire team of high class professionals who worked with me to make this surgery possible. In our month long preparation at no point in time did we feel the need to consult any foreign medical professionals. We seemed to have every investigating modality available to us and came up with the plan which looked quite comprehensive. We reviewed the skills of the team time and again and found no one lacking. We would have had no hesitation to ask for help from any other professionals in India or abroad if we had felt the need for it.

What were the greatest challenges in performing this surgery? At what point did you realize this was a success?

To find out what Dr. Patil's greatest challenge was, click here to read the rest of this great interview.