Conjoined twins fused at the head have been separated in the US
Conjoined twins born connected at the head have been separated in the US
In St. Louis, Missouri, USA, surgeons have successfully separated two-year-old Ethiopian twins who were born conjoined at the head. Currently, the sisters are undergoing rehabilitation and are learning to sit up and speak independently.
The twins were prepared for surgery for several months
The girls, named Hiyab and Vuhbto, were born in Ethiopia with a very rare congenital defect — craniopagus. In this condition, the heads of conjoined twins are fused together.
In March 2025, close to their first birthday, the girls were brought to St. Louis. A team of specialists from various fields spent several months meticulously preparing for the separation surgery.
The surgery was performed on February 24–25, 2026, at the SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children's Hospital in St. Louis. The entire process, from the preparation stage to the wound closure phase, lasted more than 24 hours. Details of the surgery were recently announced to the public during a medical conference.
The girls are learning to sit, eat, and speak
Following the surgery, Hiyab and Vuhbto are undergoing rehabilitation at the Ranken Jordan Pediatric Bridge Hospital in Maryland Heights, Missouri.
The girls' activity is recovering after several complex surgeries. They are receiving continuous medical care with the participation of more than 60 specialists from the clinical team and partner organizations.
According to Dr. Nick Holekamp, Chief Medical Officer at Ranken Jordan, the sisters have now begun to independently master childhood skills.
"We are talking about very simple skills, such as sitting upright, and later standing and walking. Now they are learning to eat, speak, communicate, and play with other children or with each other. This is, of course, miraculous," said Dr. Nick Holekamp.
Dr. Hossein Marandi, President of SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children's Hospital and Vice President of Pediatrics for the SSM Health system, emphasized that this result is the fruit of the collaborative work of specialists:
"The successful separation of Hiyab and Vuhbto is not just a major medical achievement. It is a clear proof of what results can be achieved when world-class knowledge and experience in pediatrics, compassion, innovation, and determination are combined for the benefit of children."
According to the US National Library of Medicine, such cases occur in approximately one out of every 2.5 million live births and account for less than six percent of conjoined twins.
In 2023, for the first time in the history of Uzbek medicine, doctors separated conjoined twins as a result of an extremely rare surgery. The babies were born joined at the abdomen, more precisely, by the liver.