Conjoined twins have been separated by hero surgeons in a gruelling operation.
The brothers were born prematurely at 32 weeks.
They were joined at the abdomen.
The operation to separate the seven-month-old infants lasted more than four hours.
It involved a multidisciplinary team of 28 specialists, including liver transplant surgeons.
The operation was carried out at a hospital in Lima, Peru.
The babies, from the Lambayeque region, shared a left liver lobe.
Some of their veins and arteries were linked.
The first part of the operation involved separating the twins.
Their shared organs were separated in the second stage.
And the final step saw the repair of their abdominal cavities.
Medics now say the unnamed tots are “progressing favourably”.
One was discharged 10 days after the surgery – believed to be among the most complex procedures ever carried out in Peru.
His brother was kept in the ICU, but local media said on Tuesday (6 Dec) that he’s expected to join his family soon.
The kids will need follow-up surgery and neurological care in the years ahead.
Their mum said: “I was very surprised, very happy, and now I can hold them.”
According to a 2023 report, the rate of stillbirth in conjoined twins is estimated to be around 60 per cent.
Typically, 25 per cent of live births live long enough to be candidates for surgery.
Only 60 per cent of the surgically separated cases survive.
