Conjoined-twins separated successfully in central China's Hunan

Doctors in central China's Hunan province successfully separated a pair of conjoined twins in a challenging operation on Jan. 11, 2012.

The twin girls, born in late November 2011, shared a liver and had their heart-sac connected. The two also suffered congenital heart disease, according to doctors in the Hunan Children's Hospital in Changsha, capital of the province.

The operation went well despite challenges. The girls are now separated sucessfully and left hospital.

The twins are from the city of Yongzhou, about 320 kilometers from Changsha.

Conjoined twins are quite rare, with the phenomenon's occurrence estimated to range from one in 50,000 births to one in 100,000 births. Most of them die before birth and only one in 200,000 is born alive.