Identical twins will celebrate their first Christmas – thanks to lifesaving surgery while they were still in the womb.

“Miracle babies” Elliot and Oliver Drake were born in Glasgow on July 1 – nine weeks after they won their battle with twin to twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS).

The rare condition means one sibling gets too much blood in the womb, while the other gets too little.

Elliot and Oliver survived after mother Lynsey Hay, 27, underwent laser ablation surgery in which a camera and laser were inserted into her womb through her stomach.

Doctors used the laser to seal off connecting blood vessels in the placenta to help even the flow of blood between the two babies. Nursery nurse Lynsey and lorry driver fiance Anthony Drake, 28, from Coatbridge, Lanarkshire, said yesterday the twins are “the best Christmas present” they could have wished for.

Lynsey said: “When I look at them now, I still think about the fact they might not have been here.

“We can’t imagine life without them – they’re our wee miracles.”

In TTTS cases, one baby receives less blood (the donor) and often becomes smaller and anaemic. They can also suffer from a reduced amount of amniotic fluid and become stuck to the side of the womb.

The twin who receives more blood (the recipient) becomes bigger and the higher blood volume puts a strain on their heart.

Only a handful of surgeons across the UK are able to perform laser ablation surgery on twins.