Twins conjoined at the head are separated in 25-hour surgery
The twins were born in Ethiopia with a rare condition that left them joined at the head. Doctors spent a year planning a separation surgery.
Two-year-old conjoined twins Hiyab and Wuhbto, born with craniopagus condition, have been separated in a 25-hour surgery at a St. Louis children's hospital. This rare occurrence, happening in less than 6% of conjoined twin cases, leaves them conjoined and poses significant health risks. The girls, born in Ethiopia, traveled to Missouri with a guardian in 2025, while their parents faced visa issues.
A team of 30 medical specialists, supported by a global network of pediatric providers and charities, planned this complex operation. The surgery, completed in February, required delicate separation of shared blood vessels and fused brain areas. Although mostly separated, doctors addressed a few fused regions. Dr. Joanna Kemp, leading the surgical team, expressed the emotional impact of seeing the twins apart.
Following the successful surgery, Wuhbto underwent a cranioplasty to repair her skull, and Hiyab will undergo a similar procedure later. The girls are now receiving rehabilitation at Ranken Jordan Pediatric Bridge Hospital in Maryland Heights, Missouri, with hopes of returning home to Ethiopia soon.
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