Conjoined UK Twin Dies After Separation

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

By Sarah Quinn, Newser Staff

Posted Dec 3, 2008 10:33 AM CST

(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.

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London's Great Ormond Street Hospital is considered to be on of the best in Europe at separating conjoined twins. (Getty Images)

A pair of conjoined baby girls at the Children's Hospital affiliated to Chongqing University of Medical Sciences on September 9, 2005 in Chongqing, China. (Getty Images)

Iraqi conjoined twins are shown in a recent file photo. The British twins shared a liver but had separate hearts. (AP Photo)

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This was an emergency operation because there was a blockage in their joined intestine which could only be resolved through separation. - Professor Agostino Pierro,
head of surgical team

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Conjoined UK Twin Dies After Separation