Conjoined twins Nima and Dawa, who are from Bhutan, underwent a successful separation surgery in Melbourne, Australia earlier this month and have finally left the hospital, multiple outlets have reported.
According The Guardian, the sisters left Royal Children’s hospital in Melbourne with their mother, Bhumchu Zangmo, after they were detached during a Nov. 9 operation, which lasted almost six hours. They were previously connected at their lower torso, just above the pelvis, and shared a liver, the Associated Press reported.
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Their primary pediatric surgeon, Dr. Joe Crameri — who conducted the life-saving procedure with a team of 25 medical professionals, according to the Evening Standard — told reporters that while their recovery was going well, it was still “a work in progress” and too soon for them to return to their home country.
“The twins have made an excellent recovery, and they are now starting to act independently and move around,” Crameri said, The Guardian reported. “I was pleased to see they were somewhat smiling.”
The doctor explained how they are slowly adjusting to their newfound independence.
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“We saw them became incredibly anxious after the surgery once they knew their other twin was not immediately in front of them … [But] over the last couple of weeks, we have seen them gain confidence … and … a lot of strength,” he said.
While they build up their balance and start to learn to stand, they’re capable of hand gestures, but not yet speech, according to The Guardian. But their personalities are shining through.
“They are cheeky. Dawa has turned on me,” Crameri joked to the outlet. “I thought she was going to be eternally grateful to me for getting her sister off her, but she just seems to get grumpy with me.”
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He added, “What the two girls need is stimulation of other children being around to challenge them, to give them interest, and that will do wonders for the girls.”
Before returning home, Dawa and Nima will continue their recovery at a retreat in Kilmore, outside Melbourne, hosted by the Children First Foundation, the charity that brought the girls to Australia.
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