Marathon surgery separates twins

Australian doctors successfully separated joined-at-the-head Bangladeshi twins after more than 24 hours of surgery yesterday, describing the moment as "surreal".

Two-year-old Trishna and Krishna, rescued from certain death in a Dhaka orphanage, were said to be "very well" after leaving the operating theatre in induced comas and unattached for the first time.

"The moment of separation was a rather surreal moment," Leo Donnan, chief of surgery at Melbourne's Royal Children's Hospital, said.

"There was relief but I think everyone realised there was still a long way to go and that the girls have a very difficult time ahead of them."

Doctors worked through the night to prise apart the twins' brain tissue at about 11am before reconstruction experts closed up their heads using bone and skin tissue, some 32 hours after they were wheeled into the room.

"The girls have now come out of the theatre and they are in intensive care," Donnan said.

"Everything has gone very well. They're in great shape which is fantastic... they're both in good condition and healthy. I think they're better than we thought they'd be."

The girls will spend the next few days sedated, on ventilators and under close monitoring.

Graphic: Separation surgery

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