Israeli doctors separate conjoined twin girls
One-year-old twin Israeli girls who were born conjoined at the head, back to back, looked each other in the eyes for the first time on Sunday after undergoing rare separation surgery.
The more than 12-hour operation at the Soroka Medical Centre took months of preparation and involved dozens of experts from Israel and abroad.
Chief pediatric neurosurgeon Mickey Gideon said the rare and complex surgery, which was performed last week, had only been carried out 20 times worldwide and that this was the first time in Israel.
GIDEON: "We have done the reconstruction of the brain membrane, a reconstruction of the skull and now the plastic surgeons continue the surgery for the sealing of the skin. To our delight, everything went as we had hoped."
A statement from the hospital said the surgery involved cranial reconstruction and scalp grafts for both girls, and the head of the plastic surgery department said the twins were "recovering nicely."
