Mexico ? Despite initial setbacks, doctors in the western state of Jalisco are hopeful they can separate conjoined twins who share a liver and heart tissue.

Twelve physicians at the Western Medical Center Pediatric Hospital in Guadalajara next month plan to implant small plastic devices to stretch the skin of Marisol and Mariana Villalobos to cover openings left by separation surgery.

If successful, the doctors would then attempt to separate the 3-month-old twins in January.

“The separation has a very good chance of being successful,” said hospital director Dr. Jesus Arriaga.