Conjoined twins, 2, attached at head since birth separated in gruelling surgery that took more than 24 hours

TWIN sisters joined at the head have been successfully separated following a gruelling 24-hour procedure. The crowns of 2-year-old twins – Hiyab and Wuhbto – were separated in what is regarded as one of the most complex and rare procedures performed in the United States. Hiyab and Wuhbto, 2, were successfully detached following a 24-hour surgeryCredit: Refer to source The girls were attached by the crowns of their heads Credit: SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children's Hospital The young twins travelled from their home in Ethiopia to Missouri ready for the life-changing surgery on February 24. SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital dedicated over 300 hours of painstaking planning in preparation for the intricate operation. Sign up for the Health newsletter Thank you! The procedure itself demanded “sublime precision” and seamless multi-speciality coordination. Dr. Andrew J. White, the hospital’s chief medical officer said: “Partnership, collaboration and expertise were the building blocks of this incredible feat.” The surgery they underwent is widely considered one of the most complex and rare Credit: SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children's Hospital Doctors hope they will eventually to stand, walk and talk Credit: SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children's Hospital The successful cranial separation surgery took more than 24 hours from start to finish. Wuhbto has recently undergone a further cranioplasty operation to finish the repair of her skull, the hospital said in a recent press release. Hiyab is preparing for her cranioplasty to be performed later this Autumn. The Missouri hospital called the surgery “one of the most complex and rare pediatric procedures performed in the United States.” Most read in Health The twins continue to receive support in the states Credit: SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children's Hospital The Children’s Hospital dedicated over 300 hours of painstaking planning to the operationCredit: Refer to source Dr. Hossain Marandi, president of the Hospital, said: “This story reflects the very best of who we are, bringing hope, healing, and opportunities once thought impossible to children and families when they need it most. “From our caregivers and clinical teams to our community and global partners, countless individuals united around a shared mission to create new possibilities for these two young girls and their future.” The twins continue to receive support in the states. Thanks to the separation surgery, the girls can now take part in individualised therapies designed to help them master the daily activities they were previously unable to do while conjoined. Doctors hope they will eventually stand and walk, eat and speak, socialise, and even play with other kids. The news of Hiyab and Wuhbto’s marvel detachment comes following the tragic news of two sisters who died just minutes after undergoing the same gruelling surgery. Heloísa and Helena went through five agonising operations after being born with their heads fused together, meaning they shared brain tissue and blood vessels. The twins, aged two years and seven months, endured a final 15-hour operation before they died in surgery on August 15. Tragically, the girls suffered multiple organ failure and both had a heart attack. Jayme Farina Júnior, a plastic surgeon on the team, said the girls had particularly fragile bodies. She added: “They had many bouts of pneumonia, they had a tracheostomy, they needed a gastrostomy for feeding, and they had episodes that also weakened their bodies. “But at the moment of the final separation, their bodies could not withstand this instability, and then they progressed to cardiac arrest.” Comment now