2-Year-Old Conjoined Twins Successfully Separated in 25-Hour Surgery at St. Louis Hospital

Twins separated after 25-hour surgery at St. Louis hospital. Rare condition, craniopagus, affects less than 6% of conjoined cases.

Editorial Desk

September 18, 2026 One Min Read

POLICY WIRE — St. Louis, United States — Two young girls, Hiyab and Wuhbto, who were born with a rare medical condition known as craniopagus, have been successfully separated after a 25-hour surgical procedure at a children’s hospital in St. Louis.

The 2-year-olds were born in Ethiopia with their heads joined together, facing opposite directions. This condition, which occurs in fewer than 6% of all conjoined twin cases, affects approximately one in every 2.5 million live births, according to the National Library of Medicine.

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The twins traveled from Ethiopia to Missouri in 2025, where a team of nearly 30 medical experts spent over a year preparing for the high-risk operation. The surgery, which took place in February, involved carefully separating their shared blood vessels. Dr. Joanna Kemp, the first female neurosurgeon in the U.S. to perform this type of surgery, described the moment of separation as quite wild. Both girls are now receiving ongoing care and rehabilitation at a facility in Maryland Heights, Missouri.

Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)

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