Twins' Names:
Kendra Deene and Maliyah Mae HerrinBirthdate:
Born February 26, 2002 at the University of Utah Medical Center in Salt Lake City, Utah.Type of Conjoined Twins:
Ischiopagus / Omphalopagus conjoined twins. They are joined at the abdomen and the pelvis, sharing a kidney, liver, bladder, and large intestine, as well as other organs.Other Family Information:
The girls have a big sister, Courtney, who was born in 1999, and twin brothers, Austin and Justin, who were born in 2005.Separation Date:
August 7-8, 2006Separation Location:
Primary Children's Medical Center in Salt Lake City, UtahSurgical Team:
Dr. Rebecka L. Meyers, coordinating surgeon; Dr. Michael E. Matlak, pediatric surgeon; Dr. Daniel Evans, and Dr. Simon Durcan, anesthesiologists; Dr. Faizi Siddiqi, craniofacial surgeon; Dr. Bradford Rockwell, plastic surgeon; Dr. Patrick C. Cartwright and Dr. Catherine R. de Vries, pediatric urologists; Dr. Alan K. Stotts and Dr. Peter M. Stevens, pediatric orthopedic surgeons; Dr. Keith White, pediatric radiologist, and a support staff of over 30 medical professionals.Status:
The surgery began at 7:15 on Monday, August 7, 2006 morning and lasted well into the next morning, throughout which time the girls did better than expected. Doctors divided the girls' shared liver, separated their intestines and reconstructed their pelvises.Other Information:
The surgery was historic in that it was the first successful sepration of conjoined twins who shared a kidney, which remained with Kendra. Maliyah received a kidney transplant in April 2007. (Her mother, Erin, donated a kidney for the transplant.) Both girls will require additional surgery. Kendra will require surgery to repair her bowel, a double hernia and deflex infections. Maliyah will need surgery for her urinary tract. Both of the girls will have need addtional back surgery and eventually, it is hoped that both girls will receive a prothestic leg.
