A Texas hospital announced Wednesday that a team of 25 medical professionals successfully separated conjoined twin sisters.
AmieLynn Rose and JamieLynn Rae Finley were joined at the abdomen and shared a liver, according to Cook Children's Medical Center.
The hospital cautions that the recovery process is still in the early stages, but notes that the twins are doing well.
“Our team at Cook Children’s was honored to bring together our collective expertise in treating high-risk infants and conducting complex surgery to help AmieLynn and JamieLynn reach this incredible milestone,” said Dr. Jose L. Iglesias, M.D., who served as the lead surgeon.
The girls were born at 34 weeks in October 2022. At the time, they weighed under five pounds. They were nurtured at the hospital to prepare them for surgery.
The medical team reportedly studied scans of the girls and built models of their anatomy to prepare them for surgery.
The procedure lasted 11 hours, the hospital said.
The girls will continue to receive care at the medical center for the coming months, focusing on their healing and continued development.
"I'm so grateful this family trusted us to do everything we could to help change their girls' future,” said Rick W. Merrill, president and CEO of Cook Children’s Medical Health System. “This is a magical moment in Cook Children's history and really showcases the expertise of our medical staff and the highly advanced care we have to offer children and families in our community, state and all across the country."
Conjoined twins are rare. They reportedly occur in 1-in-200,000 live births.
