Conjoined twin girls die after separation surgery in Brazil

Two-year-old conjoined twins, Heloísa and Helena Batista da Silva, died following a 15-hour separation surgery at Hospital das Clínicas in Ribeirão Preto, Brazil.

The sisters, who were joined at the head and shared brain tissue and blood vessels, suffered cardiac and cardiorespiratory arrest shortly after the procedure. Medical reports indicate that Helena suffered a heart attack at 11:12 pm, followed by Heloísa at 11:26 pm. Despite 25 minutes of resuscitation efforts by the medical team, both girls were pronounced dead.

Plastic surgeon Jayme Farina Júnior noted that the twins had previously undergone four surgeries to separate approximately 75% of their shared tissue and had dealt with various health complications, including pneumonia and the need for a tracheostomy. The surgical team stated that the twins' bodies could not withstand the instability during the final separation.