RCH Chief of Surgery A/Professor Leo Donnan has announced that twins Krishna and Trishna, who were conjoined at the head, are now separated.

The Royal Children’s Hospital neurosurgical staff, led by Dr Wirginia Maixner, successfully disconnected the final pieces of tissue at 11am this morning.

A/Professor Donnan described the separation as a relief.  “For the hospital, this is a historic moment; for the girls, even more historic.”

“The girls are healthy.  Physiologically, the way their bodies have reacted to the surgery has improved,” he said.

There are still hours of reconstructive surgery ahead of the girls this afternoon as plastic surgeons begin attaching synthetic coverings to cover the girls’ brains.  Extra skin created by tissue expanders will then be used to cover each girl’s skull.

Once the operation is complete, the girls will be sedated for a number of days in the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit.

A/Professor Donnan said theatre staff were “well-nourished and supported”.  “The staff look out for one another,” he said.