'Youngest' conjoined sisters separated at Swiss hospital in Bern

Doctors in Switzerland say they have separated eight-day-old conjoined sisters, believed to be the youngest babies to be successfully parted.

 

The twins, born in December 2015, were fused at the liver and chest.The twins were "extensively conjoined on the liver, but had all vital organs".
They weighed just 2.2kg (4lb 14oz) together. One of the twins had too much blood, and very high blood pressure, while the other one did not have enough.

A 13-strong medical team took five hours to separate the girls on December 10,2015

 

Swiss media say doctors had originally planned to separate them when they were several months old but brought the operation forward when they each suffered a life-threatening condition.

The operation reportedly carried a 1% chance of success.

The twins, named Lydia and Maya, were born eight weeks premature at the Inselspital hospital in Bern, along with a triplet who was fully separate and healthy

The twins, seen here before their operation, only weighed 2.2kg when they were born