Conjoined twins move toward separation in Houston

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Nearly one-year-old conjoined twins Hope and Faith Mata are doing very well. Their surgeon at Texas Children's Hospital spoke with Natasha Barrett Monday. Dr. Darrell Cass said that the twins recovered as well as they could have hoped for.

Hope and Faith went through surgery last month to get prepped for separation surgery later. Doctors placed tissue expanders inside of them. It's like balloons on the sides of their chests that will slowly expand and stretch the skin.

Pediatric surgeon Dr. Cass said, "They are doing amazingly well. It's so heartwarming to see them grow and develop."

We were also able to see the moment the Mata family was reunited with their girls after surgery last month via video. Mother Elysse Mata says she gets through the time at the hospital, "...with all of my support, my family, the prayers everybody has been sending to us."

Next up is the surgery to separate Hope and Faith permanently. That also means separating their chest wall, lungs, lining of their heart, diaphragm, liver, intestines and pelvis. Not only will the surgery take 36 hours, there will be 32 doctors involved.

When asked whether she had any second thoughts on the surgery, Mata said, "No. Why? As far as doing it? No, I want them to have a shot at having a normal life."

Right now, doctors are hoping to perform the big surgery to separate Hope and Faith very soon. They don't have a surgery date, but are thinking some time at the end of next month.

Hope and Faith have been in the hospital since they were born on April 11.