Hope and Faith: Houston surgeons separate twin girls in grueling operation

Doctors in Houston are optimistic that 10-month-old twin girls will survive after a recent surgery that separated them. The girls, Knatalyne Hope Mata and Adeline Faith Mata, shared a chest wall, lungs, a part of their heart lining, diaphragm, liver, colon, intestines and pelvic area, according to Dr. Darrell Cass, the lead surgeon. The girls, in stable but critical condition, will be on ventilators for the next week and are expected to be in intensive care for a couple of months, then have more surgery later.

The surgery was not without its challenges, with the girls sharing several organ systems, but we’re very pleased with how they’re doing.

Dr. Darrell Cass, lead surgeon at Texas Children’s Hospital

Cass said about five hours into the operation, Adeline’s blood pressure dropped to where the surgical team needed to manually pump her heart to resuscitate her. She recovered after about five to eight minutes. The conjoined condition of the girls was discovered during a routine ultrasound in January 2014. They have since been in the hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit and have each grown to more than 20 pounds.

[We are] so grateful to all of the surgeons and everyone who cared for our daughters and gave them the incredible chance to live separate lives.

Elysse Mata, mother of the conjoined twin girls

Health Conjoined twins