Twins conjoined at the head are separated in 25-hour surgery at St. Louis hospital
A team of medical specialists at a St. Louis hospital successfully separated two-year-old conjoined twins from Ethiopia in a 25-hour surgery. The twins, who were joined at the head, are now recovering after a year of complex surgical planning.
Why it matters
This rare and high-stakes procedure highlights advancements in pediatric neurosurgery and the impact of international medical collaboration.
A pair of 2-year-old conjoined twins are seeing each other face to face for the first time after being successfully separated during a complex medical procedure at a St. Louis children's hospital. The girls, Hiyab and Wuhbto, were born in Ethiopia with an extremely rare condition called craniopagus, where they were joined at the head facing in opposite directions. This occurs in less than 6% of all conjoined twins cases, according to the National Library of Medicine — only about once in every 2.5 million live births. For nearly two years, the girls could hear each other's voices but could not see each other's faces. Leaving them conjoined posed significant risks to their long-term health, SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children's Hospital said in a news release.The twins traveled from Ethiopia to Missouri in 2025.
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