Twins born after invitro surgery

MINNEAPOLIS, Oct. 25 (UPI) -- Identical twins in Minnesota were born healthy after a successful surgery in their mother's womb, doctors say.

About four months ago, little Gavin and Owen Cassellius were struggling for survival because they were tethered to a shared placenta.

The twins were born Wednesday at 5 pounds, 9 ounces and 5 pounds, 4 ounces, the St. Paul Pioneer Press reported Saturday.

Their mother, Jeana Cassellius of Roberts, Wis., was diagnosed in her 19th week of pregnancy with twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome. The condition is when identical twins share a placenta and one chronically loses blood to the other.

Oftentimes, neither child survives since the "donor" child can become dehydrated and weak, while the "recipient" can swell and develop heart failure. The complication occurs in about 3 percent of all twin pregnancies.

To threat the Cassellius babies, doctors at Abbott Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis and Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota performed what is called a fetoscopic laser ablation to sever the shared vessels that are causing the imbalance in blood flow.

"When you finally see them," their father, Jeff Cassellius said, "you think, 'OK, now you can breathe. Everything's fine. Now, you are not worried anymore.'"