The parents of eight-month-old conjoined twins who were successfully separated yesterday have revealed their relief as doctors said the complex operation 'went very well'.
Allison and Amelia Tucker, from Adams, New York, were born joined at the lower chest and abdomen, and on Wednesday underwent the gruelling seven-hour separation surgery.
Much to the joy of their parents, lead surgeon Holly Hedrick from the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia said the surgery 'went very well and as expected' and they will now be monitored closely.
She added that she expects the twins, who once shared a chest wall, diaphragm, pericardium and liver, to live 'full, healthy and independent lives'.
Scroll down for video of the twins
Getting ready! Allison and Amelia Tucker, who were joined at the chest and abdomen, have successfully been separated in a seven-hour operation at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
Success! A photograph from the operating room shows two teams after the girls were separated
The twins’ mother, Shellie Tucker, has kept a blog documenting her daughters’ progress, and just hours after the surgery was completed, she revealed her joy at the successful operation.
'Today it is a time to celebrate, to be thankful, to appreciate, to praise, and to enjoy this weight lifted off our shoulders,' she wrote.
'The surgery went better than expected. The girls did amazing. The surgeons were able to separate the girls and close them with the skin they grew over the last five months.'
She added: 'After the girls left us yesterday I had a sense of calm and strength come over me. These girls are going to do big things in life!'
Relief: Shellie Tucker, pictured with Allison and Amelia, expressed her joy on her blog after the operation
Together: The Tucker family only learned something was wrong at the 20-week ultrasound, left
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2229590/Conjoined-twins-Allison-Amelia-Tuckers-separation-surgery-success.html#ixzz2Bh6wzPk6
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