Doctors in north China succeeded in separating a pair of four-month-old conjoined twin girls on Sunday, and they currently remain in a stable condition.

After the arduous operation from 9:40 AM to 9 PM, doctors at the First Hospital of Hebei Medical University in Shijiazhuang, the capital of Hebei Province separated the twin's livers, repositioned their hearts and rebuilt their breastbones.

Both are in a relatively stable condition, but they still have to survive the crucial and dangerous 72 hours after the operation, according to Li Yanmin, director with the hospital's pediatric department.

The twins, born on March 15 prematurely without breastbones, spent their first four months with livers, hearts and a large area of their breast and abdomen connected, according to Li.

The girls suffered congenital heart diseases and malnutrition when they were born, weighing only 4.3 kg jointly. Doctors did not carry out the operation until they grew to 7.5 kg.

The operation was made three days after one of another pair of conjoined twin girls in southwest China died of heart and lung failure after being separated from her sister.

The eight-day-old baby girl was born with complicated heart disease that led to heart and lung failure, according to a doctor in charge of the operation.

The other girl will not be safe until she survives the remaining four-day period.

Doctors operate to separate a pair of conjoined twin girls at the First Hospital of Hebei Medical University in Shijiazhuang, the capital of north China's Hebei Province on Sunday, July 22, 2007. The operation was successful, and the twin girls currently remain in a stable condition.

Doctors operate to separate a pair of conjoined twin girls at the First Hospital of Hebei Medical University in Shijiazhuang, the capital of north China's Hebei Province on Sunday, July 22, 2007. The operation was successful, and the twin girls currently remain in a stable condition.

(Xinhua News Agency July 23, 2007)