Libyan Twins, 3, Joined at Head, Are Safely Separated
VIENNA — Hassan and Salem, Libyan-born Siamese twins joined at the head, were successfully separated early Friday in an 11-hour operation, doctors said.
The 3-year-old brothers were in “relatively good condition” and are expected to recover fully, said Dr. Wolfgang Koos, chief neurologist at Vienna’s General Hospital. The hospital did not release the boys’ surname.
Koos said the fifth and most difficult operation on the twins severed a common artery that supplied blood to the brains of both and “decided life or death” for the boys.
Hassan and Salem were flown to Austria shortly after birth and have spent their entire lives in the Vienna hospital.
After a recovery period, each will undergo cosmetic surgery to construct a new section of skull, using bone, skin and hair from other parts of the body.
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