CONJOINED twin sisters have been separated by British surgeons after 40 hours of “groundbreaking” operations in the United Arab Emirates.

Mercy and Goodness were born with their skulls fused together which caused their brain tissue and blood vessels to mix.

Mercy and Goodness were born with their skulls fused together

The toddlers have been separated after a remarkable surgery using AI and virtual reality tech

The conjoined twins, born in southwest Nigeria, underwent the miracle 12-hour surgery at just 19 months old.

Twelve doctors and medical staff from Great Ormond Street Hospital worked “to defy all odds” and cleave apart the conjoined toddlers.

They were joined by more than 50 other doctors from around the world at Sheikh Khalifa Medical City in Abu Dhabi.

Artificial intelligence and augmented reality techniques were also unleashed for the elite undertaking – which involved more than 40 hours of operations in total.

The toddlers underwent more than 40 hours of complex operations

Brit neurosurgeons worked tirelessly to separate the twins

The surgery was mapped out using 3D models of the twins’ skulls – using virtual technology from British labs.

Silicone skin expanders were also inserted into the girl’s heads to help their skin grow enough to cover their new skulls.

But it was already a small miracle that the toddlers had survived so long – with about 40 per cent of twins with conjoined skulls being still born and a further third dying within 24 hours of birth.

Only one in ten million survive long enough to undergo surgery.

The twins lying in an extra large cot to accomodate their conjoined skulls

Mercy and Goodness safely survived the surgery – and can now live healthy lives

The toddlers survived after being referred to British charity Gemini Untwined at six months old.

The non-profit performs surgeries on conjoined twins – but the pioneering skull separation of Mercy and Goodness is only the ninth time the charity has ever completed the procedure.

The top level tech involved in this latest operation led to outcomes “not seen before”, according to charity founder Professor Noor ul Owase Jeelani.

He described the surgery as “a landmark case” with new tech making the operation “safer and less invasive”.

“Building on the experience of our previous eight cases, using novel techniques and strategies, we are able to give these girls and their families a new future, where they can enjoy their childhood as intact but separated twins”, Jeelani, who is also a doctor at Great Ormonds Street Hospital, added.

“This case involved a team split across three continents, helping children from a fourth … it is a beautiful example of how we can produce life-changing outcomes through global collaboration and knowledge-sharing: skill, technology and humanity coming together to defy all odds”.

The twin girls have made a full recovery and have now returned to their home in Nigeria.

In a previous surgery, doctors working for Gemini Untwined operated on twins who had never been able to see one another face to face.

The 1-year-old girls were born joined at the back of the head, facing in opposite directions.

But they had an emotional face-to-face meeting after surgery in Israel led by Great Ormond Street’s Noor ul Owase Jeelani.

Israeli medic Dr Isaac Lazar said of the girls, who have not been named: “It was amazing to see them look at each other for the first time.

“They stared, made noises at each other, and were trying to communicate — it was just so moving.”

NHS surgeon Mr Owase Jeelani flew to Israel last week with his children’s brain surgery charity Gemini Untwined.

He told The Sun: “It was a very special moment. When we put them in separate intensive care beds they were unsettled.

“But when they could physically touch each other all of a sudden their blood pressure came down and they were much more relaxed.

“They still see themselves as one person — it’s hard for us to imagine being that connected to somebody.”

Source: https://www.the-sun.com/health/16538122/conjoined-twins-separated-british-surgeons-groundbreaking-operation/