Successful Separation of Joined Twins

Following an operation that lasted 22 hours and involved 13 doctors, year-old twins who had been joined at the crown of the head were recently successfully separated. The twins were born in Guatemala.

Before the procedure, doctors used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to produce cross sectional images in thin layers that could help them map the operation. A computer model of the heads of the twins revealed veins and arteries that the surgeons could refer to when they needed to reroute shared veins. Although the twins shared blood vessels and bone, their brains were separate.

The operation lasted almost twice as long as doctors had estimated. Afterward, the surgeons were optimistic, but warned that the twins were not yet out of danger. The twins were reported to be in critical but stable condition in the intensive care unit. Two days later, doctors were planning to administer nutrition intravenously. The operation was performed at the University of California, Los Angeles, Medical Center (UCLA).




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