"A set of one-year-old conjoined twins who had been sharing part of their hearts have been successful separated following a mammoth seven-hour operation. Anna and Hope Richards were separated at the Texas Children's Hospital in Texas, it was announced this week, by a multidisciplinary 75-strong team of surgeons, anesthesiologists, cardiologists and nurses. The girls were delivered via C-section on 29 December, 2016, at 35 weeks gestation, weighing a combined 9lbs 12oz (4.4kg) and were conjoined at their chest and abdomen, through the length of their torso and shared the chest wall, pericardial sac (lining of the heart), diaphragm and liver. In addition they had large blood vessels connecting their hearts. The twins are now recovering at the hospital and are expected to be strong enough to go home in about a month's time. ""We've thought about and prayed for this day for almost two years,"" their mother Jill Richards said, who welcomed the girls along with her husband Michael and their sons Collin and Seth. ""It's an indescribable feeling to look at our girls in two separate beds."" The epic surgery was carried out on January 13 and involved planning and preparation before the girls were even born. In November last year, aged 11 months, the twins underwent a surgical procedure to place tissue expanders to allow their skin to grow and stretch ready for their separation. Dr. Larry Hollier, surgeon-in-chief and chief of plastic surgery at Texas Children's Hospital, said: ""The success of this incredibly complex surgery was the result of our dedicated team members' hard work throughout the last year. ""Through simulations and countless planning meetings, we were able to prepare for situations that could arise during the separation. ""We are thrilled with the outcome and look forward to continuing to care for Anna and Hope as they recover."" The Richards family, from North Texas, learned Jill was carrying conjoined twins during a routine ultrasound. The fam"
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