Surgeons have successfully separated conjoined Bhutanese twins Nima and Dawa after a six-hour operation in Melbourne.
The twins Nima and Dawa are now in recovery.
A team of 18 surgeons, nurses and anaesthetists at the Royal Children's Hospital were involved in the mission to separate the 15-month-old girls, who were joined at the torso and share a liver.
The conjoined twins with their mother before going into surgery. Source: Royal Children's Hospital
Lead paediatric surgeon Joe Crameri said the twins were "doing very well" and breathing on their own.
"We saw two young girls who were very ready for their surgery, who were able to cope very well with the surgery and are currently in our recovery doing very well.
"We didn't find surprises, we knew the liver would be connected... it was divided successfully without any major bleeding."
Doctors had been concerned that the sisters may share a bowel, but discovered that they were not.
Nima and Dawa have been successfully separated in a six-hour operation. Source: AAP
They were brought to Australia with their mother Bhumchu Zangmo in October and have been staying at the Children First Foundation retreat in Kilmore.
The procedure and recovery are expected to cost at least $350,000 and the state government has offered to pay the bill.
Other funds raised will go towards the twins' rehabilitation and return home.
