MIRACLE: Youngest Ever Conjoined Twins Separated

The World's youngest conjoined twins have been successfully separated after a five-hour operation in Bern, Switzerland. Maya, Lydia and their triplet sister, Kamilla, who was not joined to them, were born eight weeks prematurely.

The babies were joined at the chest and liver and weighed just 14lb 14 oz together when they entered the operating theatre at just eight days old. Incredibly, the procedure, carried out by 13 surgeons, had only a one per cent chance of success.

"Such small conjoined siblings had never been successfully separated before," said the hospital.

Head of paediatric surgery, Steffen Berger added: "The perfect teamwork of physicians and nursing personnel from various disciplines were the key to success here. We are very happy that the children and parents are faring so well now."

epa05136973 A handout picture provided by the Inselspital Bern hospital on 31 January 2016 shows formerly conjoined twins Lydia (L) and Maya (R) after an operation to seperate them in Bern, Switzerland, 10 December 2015. Swiss doctors on 31 January said that they had successfully separated conjoined twins only eight days after birth, adding that they were possibly the tiniest patients that have ever undergone such a surgery. The girls weighed a total of 2.2 kilogrammes at the time of the five-hour operation at Bern University Hospital on December 10. They were part of triplets who were born in December, two months ahead of their due date. While one sister was born healthy, the other two were joined at their chests, livers and hearts. The parents and the doctors decided to separate the girls so soon after birth because the joined liver created serious blood pressure problems in both babies. EPA/INSELSPITAL BERN/HANDOUT MANDATORY CREDIT HANDOUT EDITORIAL USE ONLY/NO SALES

According to Le Matin Dimanche newspaper, the pair are putting on weight and breastfeeding. They join the ranks of 200 separated conjoined twins worldwide.

"We were prepared for the death of both babies, it was so extreme," Barbara Wildhaber, head of the paediatric surgery unit at the Geneva University Hospital told Le Matin Dimanche. "It was magnificent! I will remember it my entire career," she added.

Image: Inselspital Bern hospital