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Bid to separate conjoined twins Bid to separate conjoined twins
(about 5 hours later)
Doctors in Australia are carrying out a delicate operation to separate conjoined twins from Bangladesh. Doctors in Australia are still hopeful of success in a delicate operation to separate conjoined twins.
Trishna and Krishna, aged two, are joined at the top of the head. Bangladeshi twins Trishna and Krishna, who are nearly three years old, are joined at the top of the head.
The team of surgeons have almost completed separating the twins' brains, but they are still joined by a bone bridge between their skulls. The operation began at 2300GMT on Sunday and has been continuing for longer than the anticipated 16 hours.
The operation, which began at 2300 GMT on Sunday, was originally expected to take 16 hours, with a team of 16 doctors and nurses taking part. The 16-strong team of surgeons and nurses are still separating the girls' brains which a hospital spokesman said was "slow, meticulous work".
Plastic surgeon Tony Holmes told reporters: "The children are prepared as well as could possibly be and we're cautiously optimistic that everything is going particularly well." Anaesthetist Dr Ian McKenzie told ABC News Australia that, even if the operation was completed successfully, it would be several days before they knew whether the girls would pull through.
"If you think of how they're joined, there's quite a big gap to cover so that's why we've got the cranial-facial plastic surgery team and we'll be operating for quite a few hours after they're separated," he said.
The girls were close to death when they arrived in Australia two years ago and they have already had several preparatory operations.The girls were close to death when they arrived in Australia two years ago and they have already had several preparatory operations.
They were flown to Australia by the Children First Foundation, because of the poor survival rates after similar operations in Bangladesh.They were flown to Australia by the Children First Foundation, because of the poor survival rates after similar operations in Bangladesh.
However, doctors say the chance of a successful separation is still only one in four. They estimate there is a 25% chance one of the sisters will die, and a 50% chance the girls will suffer brain damage.However, doctors say the chance of a successful separation is still only one in four. They estimate there is a 25% chance one of the sisters will die, and a 50% chance the girls will suffer brain damage.