SALT LAKE CITY -- Twin sisters Kendra and Maliyah Herrin weremoved to separate beds for the first time in their lives Tuesdayafter 26 hours of surgery in which doctors separated the 4-year-olds.
"When I was done with the operation and we were getting ready totake [Kendra] to the ICU, I got tears in my eyes, because they lookedso good," pediatric surgeon Dr. Michael Matlak said.
JOINED AT MIDSECTION
The girls had been born in a perpetual hug, their little bodiesfused at the midsection. They shared a liver, a kidney, a pelvis, oneset of legs and part of their intestines.
Surgeons at Primary Children's Medical Center gave each girl oneleg, split their liver and intestines and reconstructed theirbladders and their pelvic rings. Kendra kept their one functioningkidney, while Maliyah will be put on dialysis and receive one of hermother's kidneys in a transplant operation in three to six months.
Parents Jake and Erin Herrin, who also have a 6-year-old daughterand twin 14-month-old boys, had an emotional reunion with theirdaughters.
"There were happy tears and sad tears," hospital spokeswomanBonnie Midget said.
Matlak said he feared the gaping separation wound on the girls'bodies would be difficult to close. But tissue expanders placed inthe twins weeks ago to grow their skin and muscles, combined withplastic surgery, made the job easier than expected, he said.
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