Twin Sisters Conjoined at the Head Successfully Separated After 24‑Hour Surgery

It feels like something out of a medical drama, but this time the story is real: two‑year‑old sisters Hiyab and Wuhbto, born in Ethiopia with their heads fused together, have been surgically separated.

The operation took place over the night of February 24‑25 at SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital in St. Louis, Missouri. More than 30 specialists from neurosurgery, plastic surgery, anesthesia, and critical care huddled together for a nonstop, 24‑plus‑hour marathon that would change the girls’ lives forever.

“It’s still early, and we can’t predict every detail of their long‑term development,” Dr. Joanna Kemp, the lead neurological surgeon, told reporters after the procedure. “What we do know is that they now have chances that simply weren’t possible while they were conjoined.”

The twins arrived in the United States in March 2025, after a long journey from their hometown in Ethiopia. The family hoped the move would give the children access to the expertise needed for such a complex case, and the hospital’s team was ready.

Now, more than six months later, Hiyab and Wuhbto are receiving intensive rehab at Ranken Jordan Pediatric Bridge Hospital in Maryland Heights. “They’re learning to sit upright, to eat on their own, to speak, even to play together as separate individuals,” explained Dr. Nick Holekamp, chief health transformation officer at Ranken Jordan. “Every tiny milestone feels like a miracle.”

Conjoined twins are exceptionally rare—statistical estimates put the odds at roughly one in every 50,000 to 100,000 live births, with girls three times more likely to be affected than boys. The odds of surviving a cranial separation are even slimmer, making this success a noteworthy medical breakthrough.

The operation was made possible through a web of collaborators: SSM Health Cardinal Glennon, Ranken Jordan, the nonprofit World Pediatrics, Ethiopia’s Lola Children’s Home, Ronald McDonald House Charities, Ethiopian Airlines, and several other global partners all pitched in resources and logistics.

While the road ahead will still involve therapy, schooling, and countless adjustments, the sisters now have the chance to grow up as individuals—something that would have been impossible while they were joined. Their families, doctors, and a worldwide audience are cheering every step forward.