On May 16, 2015, Texan twins Ximena and Scarlett-Hernandez Torres were born with their waists attached to each other. The conjoined twins shared a bladder and a colon.
“The girls have never been out of the hospital,” their mother Silvia Hernandez, told ABC News through an interpreter.
That is, until recently.
Ximena and Scarlett-Hernandez had undergone a 12-hour surgery which successfully two two babies from each other.
Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of this story is that the Torres twins aren’t twins at all but are actually triplets.
According to the Parent Herald, “their other sister, Catalina, was delivered sans any serious complications.
“Each of them weighed 4 pounds and 11 ounces. The conjoined sisters have stayed at the Driscoll Children’s Hospital since they were born via C-section last year.”
The complex procedure required top of the line medical equipment. These included a 3D model of a specialized MRI that assisted them in plotting the surgery.
The doctors also employed the use of a special scanner which helped them comprehend the complex blood circulation between the twins; this scanner kept the babies in good physical shape throughout the delicate procedure.
“We are so pleased that this complicated procedure went smoothly,” said pediatric surgeon Dr. Haroon Patel in an ABC News correspondence.
“The success of such a rare and challenging operation like this depends on having a skilled team of professionals working together, and I thank our great personnel for their hard work.”
But the ordeal is far from over.
Doctors said that the twins will need to undergo several more procedures as their bodies continue to grow and mature.
Despite this their mother is happy about the progress, and already, she can see the twins’ different personalities forming.
“Scarlett likes to dance, sing and she smiles a lot,” Silvia said. “Ximena is most of the time sleeping but she smiles a lot.”
READ: Conjoined twins separated for the first time in their life
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