MELBOURNE, Australia (November 17, 2009)—Twin Bangladeshi girls who were joined at the top of their heads and shared brain tissue have successfully been separated after 25 hours of delicate surgery in Australia, hospital officials say.

Leo Donnan, chief of the Royal Children's Hospital, said both girls are doing "very well" after the surgery, which concluded Tuesday.

He said the next step is reconstructive surgery, which will take many hours.

A team of 16 surgeons and nurses began work Monday on separating the 2-year-old Bangladeshi orphans, Trishna and Krishna, who were brought to Australia as infants by an aid organization.

Doctors had given them a 25 percent chance of surviving the separation surgery without brain damage or other major problems.