Conjoined twins Maria & Teresa Tapia: Before and after

Meet Maria and Teresa Tapia, 19-month-old twins who were conjoined - until their separation surgery on Monday, Nov. 4. How common are conjoined twins? They account for between 1 in 50,000 and 1 in 100,000 live births worldwide. About a half-dozen separation surgeries are performed in the U.S. a year, according to the twins' doctor, Dr. David Lanning.

The girls, from the Dominican Republic, were separated at the Children's Hospital of Richmond at Virginia Commonwealth University. Keep clicking to hear their story, as reported by the Associated Press, and see pictures before and after surgery...

Credit: AP