Siamese twins Hiab and Wuhbto, who were born with a rare condition known as craniopagus, have been successfully separated by a team of nearly 30 medical professionals in Missouri. This condition, which involves twins being conjoined at the head and facing opposite directions, occurs in less than 6% of all Siamese twin births, roughly once in every 2.5 million live births, according to the National Library of Medicine.
The sisters, who are originally from Ethiopia, arrived in Missouri in 2025 and had been able to hear each other’s voices for almost two years without seeing one another’s faces. The surgical team prepared meticulously for a year before the operation, which involved carefully separating their shared blood vessels. Dr. Joanna Kemp, the lead neurosurgeon, noted that while most of the girls’ brains were separated, there were a few small areas that remained conjoined.
Currently, the twins are undergoing treatment and rehabilitation, with Wuhbto already having undergone a successful skull reconstruction surgery. Hospital officials are hopeful that the girls will soon be able to return to their family in Ethiopia.
