Twin sisters, born conjoined at the head and sharing critical blood vessels, have been successfully separated thanks to a global surgical effort.
Great Ormond Street Hospital neurosurgeon Professor Noor ul Owase Jeelani led the surgery in July 2024 at Ankara Bilkent City Hospital in Turkey.
The life-saving procedure involving seven countries’ medical teams highlighted the power of global cooperation and the innovative use of mixed reality (MR) during surgery.
Referred shortly after birth to Gemini Untwined, a UK-based charity dedicated to separating craniopagus twins, Minal and Mirha travelled to Turkey in May 2024 after securing funding from the country’s Ministry of Health.
The separation was completed over three months, with the final surgery taking 14 hours. The twin girls, both under a year old, have made a full recovery and were expected to return home to Pakistan to lead independent lives.
Professor Jeelani has overseen eight successful separations of craniopagus twins with Gemini Untwined and called the achievement a ‘special privilege’.
He said: ‘It is an honour to be part of this team who have completed Gemini Untwined’s eighth separation of craniopagus twins. Giving these girls and their families a new future where they can live independently and enjoy their childhood is a special privilege. This was a global effort, with twins from Pakistan separated in Turkey with the expertise and support of a UK-based team from seven countries.’
What made this procedure exceptional was the use of MR technology. In partnership with the simXAR mixed reality platform, developed by neurosurgery resident and PhD student Ali Rezaei Haddad, the surgical teams in Turkey and the UK used highly detailed 3D models of the twins’ anatomy.
This immersive MR technology allowed the surgeons to visualise the complex anatomy in real-time, practise the procedure and refine their approach, boosting precision and improving patient safety during high-risk operations.
The case marks a milestone in Gemini Untwined’s ongoing effort to combine advanced technology with expert care to treat rare and complex medical conditions.
Professor Jeelani added: ‘The technology developed to undertake this work makes many of the more routine surgeries we perform safer, less invasive, and more effective, benefitting thousands of children within the UK and globally.’
Established in 2018 by Dr Jeelani, Gemini Untwined has partnered with some of the world’s most renowned paediatric care facilities to carry out life-saving operations for craniopagus twins. For more, visit https://geminiuntwined.org/
Photo credit: Gemini Untwined
