The sisters, Jamuna and Ganga Shreshta, born in Nepal, are reported to be opening their eyes and responding to voices, but are still feverish. Dr Keith Goh, the neurosurgeon who supervised the operation, said he believed the girls had a high chance of a full recovery as they had made it through the crucial first week after the operation. However, he said there was still a possibility of brain damage, but it was too early to tell. The big 'if' is whether the skin heals and whether the infection overcomes them. The girls are being kept heavily sedated in intensive care at Singapore General Hospital to allow them to rest.
Experts say infection is the greatest threat facing the infants after the traumatic operation.
The twins were joined at the top of their heads and shared the same brain cavity, causing them to face away from each other. They had to be split to survive and have the chance of a normal life. The operation to separate the girls was expected to last 36 hours, but in the end took more than 90. During the operation, surgeons had to determine which part of the brain belonged to which girl to ensure they identified the correct speech and logic centres.