Conjoined Corpus Christi Twins Undergo Separation Surgery

CORPUS CHRISTI, TX -- Surgeons in Corpus Christi have begun the intricate and delicate process of separating two infant conjoined twins born joined below the waist.

The hours-long operation at Driscoll Children’s Hospital began Tuesday morning, a hospital spokesman told the Austin American-Statesman.

Ten-month-old sisters Ximena and Scarlett Hernandez-Torres were born conjoined, sharing a colon and bladders that surgeons now seek to reconstruct. An identical triplet, Catalina, was born without serious health issues, the newspaper reports.

The lengthy operation that could take up to 18 hours to complete comes after months of preparation by medical staff, Dr. Haroon Patel said. He added the medical team has a positive post-surgery outlook for the girls, who will require more operations as they get older.