U.S. surgeons separate 10-month-old conjoined twin girls in 26 hour op

Doctors in Houston are optimistic that 10-month-old formerly conjoined twin girls will survive after a recent surgery that separated them. It took 26 hours last week to separate the girls, Knatalyne Hope Mata and Adeline Faith, who shared a chest wall, lungs, a part of their heart lining, diaphragm, liver, colon, intestines and pelvic area, according to lead surgeon Dr. Darrell Cass. The surgery, which took place at Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston, had been planned since before they were born last April.

The surgery was not without its challenges, with the girls sharing several organ systems, but we’re very pleased with how they’re doing. We’re very optimistic they can both have a really great outcome.

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

The girls were 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. 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. Each weighed 3 pounds, 7 ounces at birth. They have since been in the hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit and 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