Conjoined twins separated, and survive
Another set of conjoined twins Angelica, (right), and Angelina Sabuco, who were separated successfully this year in Palo Alto, California.
Conjoined twin girls were separated successfully in Chile on Wednesday after a televised operation that lasted 18 hours, the AP said.
Maria Paz and Maria Jose, the 10-month-old twins, were reported to be in stable condition in Santiago, the capital.
The girls had been born joined at the thorax, stomach and pelvis, and they had already undergone six previous operations before they were separated on Wenesday. It can be most difficult to separate conjoined twins the more organs they share.
The chief surgeon, Francisco Ossandon, said there could be future complications from infection, but otherwise gave the twins high marks. Per the AP:
"Both were successfully separated," Ossandon said at a news conference. "We had a number of difficulties during the surgery, there were some surprises, but we were able to fix, solve the problems."
The hospital has a history of separating conjoined twins. Three sets have been successfully separated. A fourth died.
Life for these twins, however, is looking up.
Their mother, Jessica Navarrete, called it a "miracle from God."