Doctor says conjoined twins separated successfully at Mayo

ROCHESTER, Minn. (AP) Doctors at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota say the surgery to separate conjoined twin girls from Bismarck went very well.

Dr. Christopher Moir says the operation was flawless, although there were some tense moments as surgeons separated the girls' chests and then fit their hearts back into their individual bodies.

The surgery on Abygail and Madysen Fitterer started at 9:50 this morning. The girls were placed on separate operating tables at 12:27 p-m and doctors finished reconstructing Mady's chest wall around 3:30. About 35 minutes later, they were also done with Aby's surgery.

In all, the surgery took a little over six hours.

The Fitterer twins were born joined at the chest and shared their front chest wall. Their livers were also joined and they shared some intestine.

Abygail and Madysen are the daughters of Stacy and Suzy Fitterer.

(Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) APNP 01-03-07 1812CST | save this article / add to your favorites list