Separated twins may be home next month

THE formerly conjoined twin sisters from Guatemala who were surgically separated in early August may return home as early as next month, Los Angeles hospital officials said yesterday.

"I strongly believe that by the middle to end of October they will most likely be heading back to Guatemala," said Dr. Jorge Lazareff, the neurosurgeon for the twin 14-month-old girls.

Plastic surgeons at Mattel Children's Hospital at the University of California at Los Angeles said they used a special skin substitute to make sure that the scalp wounds created by the marathon separation surgery heal properly.