Snappy newsletters. Simple Facebook sharing. Spirited comments. Sweet features are waiting… GET THEM NOW!

Doctors Separate Twins in 18-Hour Surgery

Chileans widely followed the surgery on TV, online

By Kate Schwartz, Newser Staff

Posted Dec 14, 2011 9:15 AM CST

(Newser) – For 18 hours beginning yesterday, Chileans were captivated by the fate of 10-month-old conjoined twins Maria Paz and Maria Jose. The AP reports that the country widely followed the marathon surgery to separate the girls, via both television and Internet. And the outcome thus far seems a happy one: Though the pair lost a lot of blood while being separated at the thorax, stomach, and pelvis, the chief surgeon reports that they emerged from the surgery "in good condition."

The girls posed a particular challenge: They shared a urinary tract system, along with many internal organs. About 100 people participated in the operation—the seventh the twins have undergone—including 25 surgeons and anesthesiologists. Earlier this year, doctors separated the twins' legs, urinary tracts, pulmonary systems, and other parts of their bodies.

Parents of conjoined twins Maria Paz and Maria Jose Paredes Navarrete kiss them before a separation surgery in Santiago, Chile, Tuesday, Dec. 13, 2011. (AP Photo/Luis Calvo Mackenna Hospital)

Conjoined twins Maria Paz and Maria Jose Paredes Navarrete are seen prior to a surgery to separate them in Santiago, Chile, Tuesday, Dec. 13, 2011. (AP Photo/Luis Calvo Mackenna Hospital)

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

CLICK BELOW TO VOTE

90%

To report an error on this story, notify our editors.

More Newser Stories

Conjoined Twins Separated

Angelina and Angelica Sabuco, age 2, expected to fully recover

(NEWSER) - Sisters who spent the first two years of their lives joined at the chest and abdomen have been successfully separated. Yesterday's nearly 10-hour operation at a Stanford hospital began at 6:30am; by about noon Angelina and Angelica Sabuco were no longer conjoined. Some 20 physicians spent the rest of the time reconstructing their chest walls, skin, and abdominal muscles. The riskiest step involved separating their fused livers, due to the potential for serious blood loss, explained lead surgeon Dr. Gary Hartman. More»

Docs Separate Conjoined Twins in 25-Hour Surgery

Aussie surgeons still unsure if girls will survive

(AP) - Twin Bangladeshi girls who were joined at the top of their heads and shared blood vessels and brain tissue were successfully separated Tuesday in Australia after 25 hours of delicate surgery, hospital officials said. It is too early to know whether the 2-year-olds, Trishna and Krishna, suffered any brain damage during the marathon operation; they will remain in an induced coma for monitoring for several days after the completion of the surgery. More»

Conjoined UK Twin Dies After Separation

Lung failure dooms week-old Hope Williams; sister Faith in stable condition

(NEWSER) - A British conjoined twin died today, one day after being separated from her sister, the BBC reports. One-week-old Hope Williams’ “lungs were too small to support her breathing and circulation,” the lead surgeon at a London hospital said. Her sister, Faith, is stable but needs more surgery. The twins, born Nov. 26, shared a liver but had separate hearts. More»

Surgery Looms for Teen Mom's Conjoined Newborns

Brit parents refused to abort Faith and Hope

(NEWSER) - A medical decision will be made this week on when and how to separate the conjoined newborns of an 18-year-old London mom. The baby girls are joined from chest to navel and share a liver, but have two hearts, reports the Daily Mail. "They're little fighters," said the mom, who named the babies Faith and Hope. After their birth she said she "couldn't stop looking at them" because they are "so beautiful." More»

8-Limbed Indian Tot Walking

3 months after her surgery, delighted Lakshmi takes first steps

(NEWSER) - Three months after she underwent an intensive, 27-hour hour operation to remove her parasitic twin's four limbs, 2-year-old Indian tot Lakshmi Tatma, is beginning to walk with assistance, reports the Daily Telegraph. "When she was put in the baby walker she started pushing herself backwards with her legs and burst into laughter with a huge grin on her face," said her mom. More»

NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS

What is Newser?

Face it: there's too much news. At Newser, we choose the most thought-provoking and entertaining stories from hundreds of US and international sources and reduce them to a headline, picture, and two paragraphs. And we do it 24/7—you can come back morning, noon, night (and in between) for something new that matters. Read less, know more.

Learn more »

Partnering with: Slate

View Newser on the mobile website

Doctors Separate Twins in 18-Hour Surgery

Chileans widely followed the surgery on TV, online

OTHER STORIES ON OUR RADAR

surgery • conjoined twins • Chile

MOST POPULAR STORIES

[ By Views ]

[ By Comments ]

More Newser Stories

Conjoined Twins Separated

Angelina and Angelica Sabuco, age 2, expected to fully recover

Docs Separate Conjoined Twins in 25-Hour Surgery

Aussie surgeons still unsure if girls will survive

Conjoined UK Twin Dies After Separation

Lung failure dooms week-old Hope Williams; sister Faith in stable condition

Surgery Looms for Teen Mom's Conjoined Newborns

Brit parents refused to abort Faith and Hope

8-Limbed Indian Tot Walking

3 months after her surgery, delighted Lakshmi takes first steps

About Us

Site

Community

Site Maps

Tools

More News

What is Newser?