Maria Clara and Maria Eduarda Oliveira Santana may only be 5 months old, but they've already been through a lot in their short life.

Born conjoined twins, the girls spent the first months of their lives attached by their stomachs. A few weeks ago, they went through a complicated separation surgery as their parents sat nervous and hopeful in the waiting room. After six hours in the operating room — with no complications, luckily — the twins were wheeled into recovery.

Photographer Mateus André, who introduced the twins to the world [1] through his beautiful photography, was there for the family during this time of celebration [2] and got to photograph the twins once more, this time separated.

The encounter was amazing, I saw those pretty girls who are now separated, but the symbolic and affective union prevails, they continue to be united — they are sisters, human beings, generated in the same belly.

Read through to see all of the incredible photos he took.