After 12 hours in surgery, twin girls who had spent their first year of life conjoined at the backs of their heads saw each other for the first time. The operation at Israel's Soroka Medical Centre has only been conducted 20 times in history and this was the first in the country. Physicians expect that the girls will now lead normal lives. From the BBC News:
Months before the surgery, inflatable silicone bags were inserted into their heads and periodically expanded to stretch skin. The new skin was then used to seal their heads after the skulls were reconstructed.
Preparation also included the creation of a 3D virtual reality model of the twins, said Mickey Gideon, Soroka's chief neurosurgeon. "To our delight, everything went as we had hoped," he added.
