Conjoined twins from N.D. to be separated at Mayo tomorrow

ROCHESTER, Minn. (AP) Five-month-old conjoined twins Abygail and Madysen Fitterer, of Bismarck, North Dakota, will be separated tomorrow by surgeons at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester.

The girls are joined at the chest and share their front chest wall. In October, doctors implanted tissue expanders to stretch the girls' skin enough to close their incisions when they're separated.

Mayo says the girls' livers are joined and they share some intestine.

The surgical team will be led by Dr. Christopher Moir, who also led the teams that separated conjoined twin girls from Fargo, North Dakota, in May and twin boys from Mankato in November. Mayo says Moir and his team believe it's highly likely that the separation surgery wil be successful, but says it's not without risk.

The girls are the daughters of Stacy and Suzy Fitterer.

(Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) APNP 01-02-07 1646CST | save this article / add to your favorites list