'Little fighter' twins stable after surgery

Conjoined twins dubbed the "little fighters" after being separated by surgeons remain in a stable condition, a hospital said toda

Hassan and Hussein Benhaffaf underwent a 14-hour operation at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London earlier this month.

The boys were joined at the chest but did not share any major organs.

A hospital spokeswoman said: "The conjoined twins Hassan and Hussein Benhaffaf remain stable in intensive care.

"Doctors at Great Ormond Street Hospital continue to be pleased with their progress."

About 20 staff, including four anaesthetists and four surgeons, worked in shifts during the complex procedure.

The twins were born in December at University College London Hospital.

In a poem written before the operation, the boys' mother, Angie Benhaffaf, said she and her husband were told during the pregnancy the boys might share a heart.

But their cries turned to tears of joy when "my little fighters were born" on December 2, she wrote.

Her poem said the twins had "fought to be here" and the operation to separate them was their "final battle".

The Benhaffafs, from east Cork in Ireland, relocated their entire family - including daughters Malika, four, and Iman, two - for the operation and recovery period and expect to remain in London for up to four months.

A special fund was set up in Ireland to help the family cover medical costs.