This archive report was first published on 16 July 2019.
On July 16, 2019, a remarkable medical feat took place at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London, where conjoined twins Safa and Marwa Ullah underwent a delicate 50-hour surgery to separate their skulls and blood vessels.
The twins, born in Pakistan, were joined at the head, a condition that affects only about 1 in every 2.5 million births, with only 5% of these cases involving conjoined twins joined at the head.
Medics at Great Ormond Street Hospital, led by neurosurgeon Noor ul Owase Jeelani, used advanced techniques, including 3D printing and virtual reality, to plan and execute the complex surgery.
During the final procedure, doctors inserted a layer of plastic into the twins' heads to keep their brains and blood vessels apart, and then built new skulls using the girls' own bone.
The sisters, now 2 years old, have finally left the hospital and are undergoing daily physiotherapy to aid their recovery.
Their mother, Zainab Bibi, expressed her gratitude to the hospital and medical team, saying, "We are indebted to the hospital and to the staff and we would like to thank them for everything they have done."
