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Charles Krupa / AP
Minnesota Twins left fielder Trevor Plouffe hangs on to the left field wall as he flips over while making the play during a spring training game in Fort Myers, Fla. on March 8.
Dr Zacharias Calil / AFP - Getty Images
Brazilian Siamese twins Israel and Levi underwent a 10-hour surgery to successfully separate the 14-month-olds.
Siamese twins separated after being joined at the hip... literally
AFP reports —
Brazil's conjoined twins Israel and Levi were separated successfully on Wednesday at Maternity Hospital of Goiania in a surgery that lasted nearly 10 hours, the twins' doctor told AFP.
The 14-month-old boys were joined at the hip and abdomen. They shared intestines, a bladder and genitalia, said pediatric surgeon Zacharias Calil, a specialist in separating conjoined twins.
"It was very difficult, very complicated but we managed (to separate them)," Dr Calil said. The brothers "came through the surgery well." Israel and Levi had four legs but their shared lower bodies made the surgery the second-most complicated for conjoined twins. Twins with shared skulls create the most complex separation surgeries.
Identical twins enlist in the U.S. Army together
Paul Sakuma / AP
Identical twins Melissa Ventura-Benel, center, and Meilyn Ventura-Benel take the U.S. Army oath of enlistment at the U.S. Army East Bay Recruiting Company, in Hayward, Calif., Feb. 4, 2011. The twins, from Vallejo, Calif., decided to enlist into the Army just days before their mother died of cancer on Christmas Eve. Both are Peruvian and will earn their U.S. citizenship by serving in the United States military. They say it will advance their career opportunities, help them afford college, and provide them with an opportunity to serve their country.
Paul Sakuma / AP
The twins hug their aunt, Juanana Juliachs, after they took the oath.