Conjoined twins Kendra and Maliyah Herrin successfully separated by surgeons.

After nearly 16 hours the surgical team that included six surgeons, two anesthesiologists, one radiologist, two urologists and 25 to 30 support staff members were able to separate four year old conjoined twins Kendra and Maliyah Herrin.

The two Utah girls, born fused at the midsection, have been successfully separated and are currently undergoing reconstructive surgery.

For four years the little girls have shared a liver, kidney, intestines and a pair of legs. Doctors began preparing the twins for separation in June when they implanted balloons into the girls in order to stretch their skin and muscles so that there would be enough tissue to close their midsection after surgery.

After the surgery chief pediatric surgeon at Utah’s Primary Children’s Medical Center Rebecka Meyers expressed her delight, “It’s exciting they’re doing really, really well.”

It’s exciting they’re doing really, really well,” said Rebecka Meyers, chief pediatric surgeon at Primary Children’s Medical Center

Earlier in the surgery, doctors were able to separate the intestines, reconstruct the twins’ two bladders, divided the girls’ shared liver and give each girl a leg. They will be fitted with a prosthetic later. Surgeons severed Maliyah’s connection to Kendra’s kidney as well. Maliyah will be put on dialysis for three to six months to build up strength before receiving a kidney transplant from her mother, Erin Herrin.

The surgery is believed to be the first involving the separation of twins with a shared kidney.

Erin Herrin expressed optimism prior to her girls’ separation “We know going into this surgery that angels are watching over our children, we feel it.” After doctors had completed the separation Jack Herrin, the girls’ father said, “It’s just a new beginning — and the end of a really good one.”

Speaking outside the hospital to a crowd of well-wishers Jack Herrin shared the joy he has experienced with his wife in raising their daughters, “We are very thankful to have been able to have been the parents of Kendra and Maliyah these last four years because they touch people in a way that no two people or one person can touch anybody. They are just so energetic, so lively and they inspire and we all can learn a lot from them.”

Kendra and Maliyah have already beaten the medical odds by becoming candidates for separation. Of the conjoined twin population only 20% survive to reach consideration for separation.