Two conjoined twins, Chelsea and Maggie, traveled from Sierra Leone with their parents to undergo a rare separation surgery due to being joined at the chest wall and abdomen. This procedure involved many specialized medical steps, including tissue expansion and collaboration across medical specialties, and was carefully prepared for to ensure the best possible outcome for the twins. The surgery was a complex, multi-hour operation involving the separation of shared organs like the liver and breastbone.

Following the successful surgery, the medical team experienced a joyous moment when the twins were placed on separate tables for the first time. The event represented a significant emotional and medical milestone for both the family and medical team. Chelsea and Maggie have now moved towards recovery, showing signs of health and independence, which marks the beginning of their new lives apart after the surgery.

Main takeaways from the video:

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Key Vocabularies and Common Phrases:

1. conjoined [kənˈdʒɔɪnd] - (adjective) - Describing twins who are physically connected to each other at birth. - Synonyms: (fused, linked, united)

Chelsea and Maggie are our two conjoined twins.

2. abdomen [ˈæbdəmən] - (noun) - The part of the body between the chest and pelvis, often referred to as the belly. - Synonyms: (stomach, midriff, belly)

They're connected here across their abdomen.

3. pericardium [ˌperɪˈkɑːrdiəm] - (noun) - The membrane enclosing the heart, consisting of an outer fibrous layer and an inner double layer of serous membrane. - Synonyms: (heart lining, cardiac sac)

...potentially also at their breastbone and their pericardium, which is the lining around the heart.

4. devastation [ˌdɛvəˈsteɪʃən] - (noun) - A state of severe and overwhelming shock or grief. - Synonyms: (destruction, desolation, ruin)

...there was really a big devastation for the family.

5. symphony [ˈsɪmfəni] - (noun) - A harmonious combination of elements or a complex, orchestrated operation. - Synonyms: (harmonization, orchestration, ensemble)

This is really going to play out, we hope, as a well coordinated symphony...

6. anesthesia [ˌænəsˈθiːʒə] - (noun) - Loss of sensation or consciousness with or without loss of consciousness induced by an anesthetic. - Synonyms: (sedation, numbing)

First several hours will be the delivery of anesthesia and the monitoring.

7. simultaneous [ˌsɪməlˈteɪniəs] - (adjective) - Occurring, operating, or done at the same time. - Synonyms: (concurrent, synchronous, coincident)

We now, in a sense, had two simultaneous operations that were ongoing...

8. magical [ˈmædʒɪkəl] - (adjective) - Wonderful, exciting, or enthralling in a way that seems as if through magic. - Synonyms: (enchanting, extraordinary, marvelous)

We then had a magical moment where we took the two girls, which were sharing one table, and we now brought them to two separate tables.

9. gratifying [ˈɡrætɪfaɪɪŋ] - (adjective) - Providing pleasure or satisfaction. - Synonyms: (satisfying, fulfilling, rewarding)

You know, this whole experience, I would say, has been so gratifying.

10. domicile [ˈdɒmɪsaɪl] - (adjective) - Mild or gentle in nature; calm and quiet. - Synonyms: (docile, gentle, tranquil)

...and Maggie seemed a little more domicile and a very, very smiley little baby.

Conjoined Twins Separated - National Geographic

Chelsea and Maggie are our two conjoined twins. They've traveled to us from Sierra Leone for the explicit purpose of being separated. They're now five months old. My daughters, this is Maggie, and this is Chelsea. They like to sleep. Okay.

If we're looking at the babies now, we can see that they're connected here across their abdomen, and they're going to be separated here across their abdomen. Seeing two conjoined twins that are healthy, that are appropriate for separation, is extremely rare. The entire experience in the literature is limited in terms of how many of these operations have actually been done.

Chelsea and Maggie are primarily joined at the chest wall and at the abdomen anatomically, that the most likely areas where they're going to be joined is certainly at their liver and then potentially also at their breastbone and their pericardium, which is the lining around the heart. We knew that we would need to create more skin and soft tissue in order to have adequate coverage over their organs after we separated them. And so six weeks ago, we placed tissue expanders underneath their skin and began a process of slow expansion of the soft tissue envelope. And we are setting the stage for what will be a very big day, but a very good day where we're hoping to separate them successfully tomorrow.

July 2018. I got married. My lovely wife gave birth. The three babies. The boy was separated. The two girls were conjoined. When my children born, I feel excited why I see them, but I was thinking about their separation, whether they are going to separate or not. Unfortunately, I lost my son after a couple of weeks in the hospital in Sierra Leone, there was really a big devastation for the family. That's when they really wanted to go seek medical care outside. I want my babies going well, play, and have a successful life and happy life when they are separated, we know we are going to be a super happy family.

This morning begins the day of separation. You know, we are prepared. We are ready for any unexpected event. I'm really excited for the family. This is really going to play out, we hope, as a well coordinated symphony where we're going to culminate with each person doing their portion and using their expertise to create this separation. Hello, young ladies. How are you this morning?

First several hours will be the delivery of anesthesia and the monitoring. Then the separation will begin will take several hours, and the reconstruction will take an additional several hours. But we'll go most of the day.

Today, we're about to start the splitting. The first thing that will need to happen will need to actually be a separation of their breast bone. Or their sternum. And then we're going to get to the point where we're going to have to do a separation of the lining of the heart. And so that's going to be Doctor Bosch's job, to separate any of the cardiac contents. After that, we're going to work our way down into the intra abdominal area. And so at that time, doctor Tom Cato from our liver transplant team will take the lead. There's only one organ that is really clearly fused is the liver, and it's not a really small portion, is a very big portion of the liver is used. So we have to split into two parts.

During the next part of the surgery, Doctor Stilianos and I will take the lead and we'll do the final separation of the rest of the soft tissue envelope. We then had a magical moment where we took the two girls, which were sharing one table, and we now brought them to two separate tables. Being the first time that they were physically in a separate space, the twins have been separated there. We still have a fair amount of work to do. We'll update you as we're going along. But we wanted to deliver that piece of information. They were cheering.

I was so overjoyed. I don't know what to say when I hear my girls separated. We now, in a sense, had two simultaneous operations that were ongoing, as we have known and as we suspected all along, although the two girls were conjoined, they are not made equally on the one table. Doctor Bashaw and his team, assisted by Doctor Cato, began the process of trying to actually get Chelsea's left ventricle to sit within her chest. Myself and my team, along with Doctor Silianos, was taking the lead on beginning the closure process for Maggie. We brought the both girls up to the ICU.

Well, the day of the surgery, we go and see them separated. Different birds. Oh, we are so happy at that moment. We share a hug with the parents. Thank you. Thank you so much. Thank you. Thank you very much.

They are doing great because now they move, they stand for themselves, they walk a little bit, so they are doing well now. You know, this whole experience, I would say, has been so gratifying. It was amazing to see this young, young couple, you know, display such, you know, bravery and bringing their children here for us to take care of and really trusting that, you know, we have the correct expertise here to do so.

There are definitely two different girls. Chelsea, though she may be the smaller one, had a lot of spunk to her and had a lot of strength. And Maggie seemed a little more domicile and a very, very smiley little baby. You know, it was just remarkable to see the two kids and to see the dynamic between them and the parents.

My kids are separated now. They have to live a normal life like the other kids. So I happen with my lovely wife so much because we went through a lot before they separation. We give thanks and appreciation to each and everyone in this hospital. The way we see them playing together. They are having new life right now. They feeling good to be so happy about that. I want them to be healthy and better alive like the other kids are because they are different now. Everything will be okay.

Medicine, Surgery, Pediatric, Science, Technology, Humanity, National Geographic