Siamese Twins Successfully Separated in Singapore

Siamese twins from Nepal who were born joined at the head have been surgically separated in a marathon operation in Singapore that lasted almost four days, a hospital spokeswoman said.

The complicated separation surgery of Ganga and Jamuna Shrestha was a ``success,'' a spokeswoman from the hospital said, adding that the girls were now being treated by plastic surgeons.

``Yes it's over. It was a success,'' a Singapore General Hospital spokeswoman said on condition of anonymity. ``There are still things that need to be done.''

The 11-month-old twins have been on the operating table since 4:00 p.m. Friday. Doctors had initially hoped to finish in 24 to 40 hours.

Doctors say the girls, who are from a poor, mountain village in Nepal, have very distinct personalities.

Ganga, who has a cleft palate, is feistier and always hungry, while Jamuna is more shy.

Hospital staff say the girls tend to fall asleep and get hungry at different times each day.

The hospital said in a statement Monday that the procedure was ``meticulous and paced'' because of the twins' ``complex and extensive'' blood vessel interconnections.






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