In a remarkable medical achievement, one-year-old twins who were born conjoined at the back of the head in Israel have been successfully separated. Following a groundbreaking 12-hour surgery, both girls had the emotional opportunity to see each other for the very first time, and this heartwarming moment was captured on video.

This surgery marks a historic milestone as the first separation surgery for conjoined twins performed in Israel. Doctors involved in the procedure estimate that such operations have only been carried out about 20 times worldwide.

Mickey Gideon, director of pediatric neurosurgery at Soroka Medical Center, who led the surgery, explained the complexity of dealing with twins attached at the brains and blood vessels supplying the brains. He stated to NBC News, “Whenever you have two babies attached together with their brains and the vessels supplying the brains, it makes it even more complex and impossible for us neurosurgeons to expect and to know how to deal with it.”

The girls, whose names have not been released, were photographed and filmed lying in their hospital crib, facing each other and absorbing the sight of their sister for the first time.

Watch the video on YouTube: Israeli doctors separate conjoined twin girls

The intricate surgery involved cranial reconstruction and scalp grafts for both baby girls. Dr. Gideon had hoped to perform the surgery before they reached their first birthday, recognizing it as a crucial developmental year. The surgical team, comprising 50 individuals, had been planning the separation surgery since the babies were in their mother’s womb. Born at 34 weeks gestation, the doctors conducted tests and examinations to ensure their understanding of the girls’ brains and bodies was as precise as possible.

The surgical team collaborated with high-tech companies to develop 3D models of the girls’ anatomy and used virtual reality simulations to meticulously prepare for the surgery.

Gideon provided an update on the twins’ recovery, stating, “They are recovering well, and they are neurologically okay. Cognitively, we can’t estimate yet. We have to wait and examine them and see what happens.”

Post-surgery, the twins are awake, conscious, crying, and have their heads bandaged. Initially placed in separate cribs, the moment they were reunited next to each other is undoubtedly one that everyone at the hospital, including the girls’ family, will never forget. Dr. Owase Jeelani, another surgeon involved, shared on Times Radio that the twins’ mother was “shaking with joy” upon hearing that the separation was successful.

The twins are currently alert, conscious, and crying, and they have their heads bandaged. In the days following the surgery, they were temporarily separated for individual care but were placed in the same crib for the first time on Sunday.

“The first two days after the operation, we saw that they were a little agitated, and when we put them together, it was a wonderful moment to see how they became calm and quiet,” said Gideon. “For the first time, they were looking at each other after being attached at the back of their head.”