Two little girls from China are now separate for the first time ever, thanks to the groundbreaking work of surgeons in China and a 3D printed model.

The medical team used 3D technology to map out a plan to separate the conjoined twins, who were fused at the hip and share part of the same digestive tract and portions of their anus, something that went undetected until they were born in March.

Using CT Scans and MRIs, the medical team sent the scans to a 3D printing lab to create a model.

Then, the surgeons first practiced on a 3D replica of the girls joined parts, allowing them to better gauge how to handle the complex surgery.

“It helped us to decide on a more precise starting point on the body,” Dr Zheng Shan, who led the team, said about the 3D printed models.

Both little girls survived the 5 hour operation and are now being monitored in the Fudan University Children’s Hospital’s ICU.

A charity organization is helping fund the cost of their care.

Photo Credit: Dragon TV