The conjoined Iranian twins are to be admired for the paths they chose.

Some of the best medical people in the field fought for 50 gut-wrenching hours to try to separate adult twins conjoined at the head. The unprecedented operation occurred in Singapore and was expected to take four days.

The 29-year-old Iranian twins bravely fighting for independent lives died after one of them began bleeding badly when surgeons made the final cut for separation. What was being attempted was clearly not to be. One can only guess the anguish felt by the medical team, the young women’s family, friends and loved ones.

There will be critics of the effort to separate the sisters. Nothing of this nature can occur without someone trying to second-guess or even demonize someone. That seems so foolish. The two were well aware of the monumental risks of the surgery and asked for it just the same. They knew that pressure was building in their brain areas and that it would kill them eventually, perhaps painfully over a long period of time.

Both young women had dreams of professional careers and were well-educated. They preferred to aim high rather than accept a sure death under indecipherable circumstances. They are to be admired.

There will be efforts to blame someone for what might be considered experimental surgery. But suppose one or even both of the young women had survived. What a feat that would have been.

The bottom line is that adults with good backgrounds and the ability to choose what happened to them decided they wanted to go ahead. They preferred death to further imprisonment in their conjoined condition.

Many of us are inclined to hope we have a choice that clear cut when major dangers and terminal situations come upon us or those we care about.

Laleh and Ladan Bijani should be respected and honored for the path they chose. Those who chose to help them reach for their individual sets of stars are to be commended.