The twin sisters, Knatalyne Hope and Adeline Faith, who were born last April weighing 3 pounds, 7 ounces, shared a chest wall, lungs and part of their heart lining.
Their condition was discovered in January 2014 during a routine ultrasound and the surgery, which took place in Texas Children's Hospital last week, had been planned since their birth ten months ago.
Commenting on the 26 hour surgery, Dr. Darrell Cass said: "The surgery was not without its challenges, with the girls sharing several organ systems, but we're very pleased with how they're doing."
Despite complications during the surgery which necessitated Adeline having her heart manually pumped by the surgical team, the surgeon is optimistic about the twin's prognosis, but expects the babies will remain in intensive care for a few months before undergoing further surgery in the future,
Knatalyne and Adeline's parents, who moved to Houston to be nearer their daughters, have expressed their gratitude to the surgical team, which included six anesthesiologists, eight nurses and twelve surgeons, saying: "We know how much planning and time went into this surgery and we are so blessed to be at a place like Texas Children's where we have access to the surgeons and caretakers that made this dream a reality."
Seeing the children wheeled out on separate gurneys as separate patients from the operating theatre moved everyone involved, with Dr. Cass admitting: "It literally brought tears to my eyes."
Wishing the little girls all the very best in their recovery.
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