Two-year-old conjoined twin sisters Heloísa and Helena Batista da Silva died on the operating table on August 15 following their fifth attempt to surgically separate them. The procedure, performed at the Hospital das Clínicas in Ribeirão Preto, Brazil, aimed to sever the twins who were joined at the head and shared brain tissue and blood vessels.
According to reports, complications arose shortly after the successful separation of the twins. The medical team stated that both girls experienced haemodynamic instability, a condition characterized by insufficient blood flow to vital organs. This instability led to multiple organ failure and, ultimately, cardiac arrest for both sisters. Helena suffered a heart attack at 11:12 p.m., followed by Heloísa at 11:26 p.m. Resuscitation attempts for 25 minutes were unsuccessful; Helena passed away at 11:37 p.m., and Heloísa at 11:51 p.m.
Over 50 medical and support staff were involved in the complex operation. Jayme Farina Júnior, a plastic surgeon on the surgical team, noted that the twins had fragile health throughout their lives, suffering from frequent bouts of pneumonia and requiring a tracheostomy and gastrostomy for feeding. He added that their bodies could not withstand the instability that followed the final separation.
Prior to the final procedure, the twins had undergone four previous surgeries. The initial three procedures successfully separated approximately 75 percent of their shared blood vessels and brain tissue. During the fourth surgery, tissue expanders were implanted to provide sufficient skin for closing the skulls. The twins were buried on August 16 in São José dos Campos.
Their father, Amarildo Batista da Silva, expressed gratitude to the medical staff and stated he does not blame them for the outcome, viewing their efforts as more victories than defeats. Heloísa and Helena were the third set of craniopagus twins treated at the hospital, with all their treatments funded by Brazil's public healthcare system.