A day after surgery, separated twins recovering in Utah hospital

Conjoined twins surgically separated at their fused spinal cords were in fair condition.

Photo: A day after surgery, separated twins recovering in Utah hospital

"That doesn't sound very good, but they are out of intensive care and improving," Primary Children's Medical Center spokeswoman Bonnie Midget said Wednesday.

Allyson and Avery Clark had surgery Tuesday, a day before turning 8 months old. It took 66 minutes from the first incision to separate them. Their spinal cords were joined at the lower back and made a U-shape.

Nurses said the twins, in separate beds for the first time, had a good night and interacted with each other when awake, Midget said.

"Everything is going very smoothly," she said. The twins are expected to spend about a week at the hospital.

Their father, Kerry Clark, transferred to Utah's Hill Air Force Base from Edwards Air Force Base in California so the girls could be treated at Primary Children's Medical Center. It was the hospital's fourth separation of conjoined twins since 1998.