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4 clusters · 18 sources · 26 days · First seen · Last updated

Conjoined twins die during final separation surgery in BRA

Overview

Craniopagus twins Heloísa and Helena Batista da Silva, aged two years and seven months, died following the fifth and final stage of a planned separation surgery at the Hospital das Clínicas de Ribeirão Preto in São Paulo. The twins, who were joined at the head and shared brain tissue and blood vessels, had undergone four successful preparatory surgeries between August 2025 and March 2026 to manage shared structures and skin expansion.

The final procedure began on August 15, 2026, and lasted approximately 15 hours involving over 50 medical specialists. While the physical separation was completed, the twins suffered severe circulatory complications. Surgeon Jayme Farina Júnior reported that after 10 hours, the twins experienced critical blood pressure fluctuations, including hypertension in one child and profound hypotension in the other.

Medical reports indicate the twins suffered cardiac and cardiorespiratory arrest shortly after the procedure. Helena suffered a heart attack at 11:12 pm, followed by Heloísa at 11:26 pm. Despite 25 minutes of resuscitation efforts, both were pronounced dead. The surgical team noted the twins' bodies could not withstand the instability during the final separation. Prior to this, the twins had managed health challenges including pneumonia, a tracheostomy, and a gastrostomy. Following the deaths, the twins' father expressed gratitude to the medical team, stating he does not view the loss as a defeat for the doctors.

Entities

Hospital das Clínicas · Ribeirão Preto · Dr. Zacharias Calil · Maria Helena · Heloísa

Timeline

  1. 22 days ago

    [HEALTH] 8 sources
    Conjoined twin girls die after separation surgery in Brazil

    Two-year-old conjoined twins Heloísa and Helena Batista da Silva died in Brazil following a 15-hour surgery intended to separate them at Hospital das Clínicas.

  2. 24 days ago

    [HEALTH] 4 sources
    Brazilian craniopagus twins die after final separation surgery

    Craniopagus twins Heloísa and Helena died in Brazil following a 15-hour final separation surgery that resulted in severe circulatory complications.

  3. 27 days ago

    [HEALTH] 7 sources
    Conjoined twins die during final separation surgery in Brazil

    Conjoined twins Heloísa and Helena died during the final stage of a multi-step separation surgery at the Hospital das Clínicas de Ribeirão Preto in Brazil.

  4. about 2 months ago

    [HEALTH] 2 sources
    Conjoined twins Maria Helena and Maria Eva begin prep for separation surgery in Goiânia

    Three‑month‑old conjoined twins Maria Helena and Maria Eva arrived in Goiânia, Brazil, to begin preparation for a separation surgery led by pediatric surgeon Zacharias Calil, with treatment funded by the SUS.

Sources

arbresh.info · blaulichtmyk.de · cremation.com · fei.es · folhadoprogresso.com.br · hugogloss.uol.com.br · metropoles.com · mittelaltergazette.de · ndmais.com.br · nypost.com · offthepress.com · pulptastic.com · satakunta.fi · stheadline.com · tetovasot.com · tnonline.com.br · topky.sk · ts.mk

This summary has been updated 1 time: see revision history