AllMovie

Dao and Duan were among the oldest conjoined twins ever to be separated. Born in Thailand, the girls were flown into the United States and granted unparalleled medical care. Nova: Siamese Twins goes into the operating room to witness the unmaking of the Siamese Twins. Unlike their original namesakes, Dao and Duan have a complicated attachment involving a shared leg and organs. Much of the preparatory process deals with deciding how to divide the bodies so that each girl has a strong chance of survival. While readying for surgery, the twins settle into their new home with an adoptive family. The operation takes 15 hours. When it is all over, Dao and Duan are finally distinct persons. Each will need prosthetic limbs and further surgery, but both should retain the ability to reproduce. Nova: Siamese Twins is a wondrous look at medical miracles and the regenerative power of the human spirit.