Milagros Cerrón, whose first name means miracles in Spanish, was born with sirenomelia, or “mermaid syndrome”, a rare congenital defect that left her legs connected from the heels to the groin. In June last year doctors separated her legs to above her knees. The surgery yesterday was carried out to separate the remaining fused tissue. Milagros, pictured left before the second operation, is expected to need at least sixteen further operations in the next ten years.

Luis Rubio, who led the specialists, said after the surgery: “There were no problems . . . no complications from anaesthesia or from haemorrhaging.”

Milagros, pictured above in 2004, is known in Peru as the Little Mermaid. She has developed the ability to stand without help. A 17-year-old girl in the US is the only person who has had the defect corrected successfully. It occurs in one in 70,000 babies and is often fatal within days of birth. (AP)

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