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Conjoined twins separated after marathon surgery

Twin boys who were born conjoined at the head have been separated after a marathon 27-hour surgery in New York.

Thirteen-month-old twins Anias and Jadon McDonald underwent the risky surgery on Thursday at the Montefiore Medical Center’s Children Hospital, with a round-the-clock operation.

Parents Nicole and Christian were warned figures showed 80 per cent of twins joined at the head die of medical complications by the age of two if not separated.

Conjoined twins Jadon and Anias. Source: Facebook
Conjoined twins Jadon and Anias. Source: Facebook
Now living separate lives after successful surgery. Source: Facebook
Now living separate lives after successful surgery. Source: Facebook

And with that in mind, the couple decided to go ahead with the separation.

The family received good news on Friday with Jadon out of surgery first. Little Anias remained behind after doctors were forced to reopen his incision, leaving mum Nicole praying for the best.

Parents Nicole and Christian with their boys. Source: Facebook
Parents Nicole and Christian with their boys. Source: Facebook

“My heart aches for him all alone down there without his brother. Such a scary time to be alone,” she said.

But the second round of good news followed hours later, with Anias wheeled into the hospital room next to his brother for the first time.

“It's a bit surreal to sit here and type this ... I should feel so happy... TWO SEPARATE BABIES!!!," mum Nicole posted on Facebook.

Conjoined twins Jadon and Anias. Source: Facebook
Conjoined twins Jadon and Anias. Source: Facebook
The boys sleeping in separate beds for the first time. Source: Facebook
The boys sleeping in separate beds for the first time. Source: Facebook

"Yet I ache with the uncertainty of the future. I didn't cry until the surgeon's left the room. I was barely able to even utter the words 'thank you' because of the pit that still sits heavy in my stomach.

“The overall atmosphere was one of celebration mixed with uncertainty.”

Little Jadon and Anias were born a month early on September 9, 2015.

The McDonalds. Source: Facebook
The McDonalds. Source: Facebook

Since then, the McDonalds have dedicated their lives to the twins, quitting their jobs and moving from Illinois to be closer to the New York hospital.

The procedure to separate the boys lasted more than 16 hours, with another 11 hours taken to reconstruct their small skulls with tissue expanders to make them two separate individuals.

Dr. James Goodrich led the twins’ procedure and claimed that it was the longest craniopagus surgery since 1952.

“There was a point where Dr Goodrich debated stopping the whole procedure because it was just too risky but an opening presented itself and they went for it and it ended up being the right call," Nicole said.

"The boys ended up sharing a 5x7 cm area of brain tissue with no definite plane for dissection...so Dr Goodrich had to make the call and the final cut based on his instinct."

The grateful couple took to social media to thank everyone involved in the operation.

The McDonalds with their twins and son Aza. Source: Facebook
The McDonalds with their twins and son Aza. Source: Facebook

“As my husband and I emerged from the depths of the hospital yesterday, we were faced with the reality that our private world had changed almost just as rapidly as the boys did overnight,” Nicole said.

“The real heroes of this story are the people who have put countless hours, days and months into the success of today.”

Anias and Jadon will remain intubated until early next week with their recovery set to take months.