Surgical Team Saves Twin Girls Conjoined at the Head

11 weeks into her pregnancy, Heather Delaney discovered that her twins had a rare condition called craniopagus. Born 10 weeks prematurely, Heather’s daughters Erin and Abby were conjoined at the head, sharing blood vessels and the protective membrane around their brains. The twins remained at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia for months after their birth to bring them back to health and to prepare for the intense separation surgery.

In an exhaustive, 11-hour procedure last summer, a team of 30 physicians, nurses, anesthesiologists, and surgeons carefully separated the twins. Following their surgery, Erin and Abby were able to sleep in separate beds for the first time. While their recovery and rehabilitation took a few months, the healthy twins were finally released from their 485-day stay at CHOP last month.

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Photo Credit: Associated Press