An operation on a baby girl born with three legs proved successful Thursday, when the extra leg was removed.

The 14-month-old girl, named Hong Hong, was found abandoned in a Beijing street in March, and was taken to the municipal orphanage by the police. A family adopted her, and the step-mothertook her to Dongzhimen Hospital on August 6.

The extra leg was growing out of the baby's back, with three toe-like projections. An X-ray examination showed that her third leg had an entire limb skeleton.

Her abnormality was a rare kind of parasitism, according to Xu Lin, the doctor in charge.

Hong Hong's lower limbs would be hampered from growing normallyif the extra limb had remained, and much nutrition would be absorbed by it as well, doctors said.

The hospital gathered doctors from related departments all overBeijing to discuss Hong Hong's case. Several mock operations were done before the real one, to minimize the risk.

A dozen doctors and nurses participated in Thursday's operation,which took them nearly six hours to complete. The family was not required to pay for the treatment.

The baby is now in stable condition, and is being closely watched by doctors. Further examination and treatment will continue, according to a hospital spokesman.

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