UNBORN twins underwent lifesaving surgery - while still inside their mother's womb.

Thomas and Nathaniel Spence-Hamblin survived the delicate laser surgery despite their parents being warned their was a 70 per cent chance at least one of them would die.

A scan had detected the brothers were suffering from rare Twin to Twin Transfusion Syndrome (TTTS), meaning blood was passing unevenly between them.

But the specialist surgery to treat the condition, carried out while mum, Danielle, was just 20 weeks pregnant, was hailed a success.

Now Danielle and doting dad, Tony, have welcomed their "miracle" sons home.

Danielle said: "I found out what the problem was when I went for a scan after 20 weeks.

"It was the first scan I had gone to by myself and it was a horrible feeling. I had to have follow-up scans every week after that and each time I was just so nervous, worrying everything would be all right."

Thomas and Nathaniel had developed TTTS, also known as Feto-Fetal Transfusion Syndrome (FFTS), meaning blood vessels in their placenta were attached and blood was flowing from one to the other.

This can lead to one twin receiving too much blood and the other getting too little. If left untreated, it either leads to the mother suffering a miscarriage or the babies being born seriously ill.

After spotting the condition, medics immediately booked Danielle in for the delicate operation, at Newcastle's Royal Victoria Infirmary, which sees a tiny camera inserted into the womb to guide the surgeon as he separates the blood vessels using a laser.

But she was warned there was a two-thirds chance at least one of the youngsters would not survive. Danielle added: "One of the other options was to have one of them aborted, which just wasn't an option for us.

"So, we had to go with this surgery and after I heard the odds, we were very worried and it was a very nervous four months, leading up to the birth.

"We picked the name Thomas and that actually means 'twin' and we picked the name Nathaniel and that actually means 'fighter', which we didn't know at the time, so I guess it was meant to be."

Danielle gave birth to the twins, with Thomas weighing 5lb 12oz and Nathaniel 5lb 9oz, on September 26 and they are now back at home with her and Tony, in Wallsend.

Dr Stephen Sturgiss, who carried out the surgery at the RVI's foetal medicine unit, said: "This condition means blood passes from one twin to the other through blood vessels connected in the placenta.

"In severe cases, we offer this procedure, where an edoscope is inserted which has a camera mechanism so you can see into the womb from a television screen.

"That means you can visualise the surface of the placenta and you use a laser to carry out the treatment. The main problem of this condition is that one baby gets over-loaded with blood and the other has less blood.

"This can lead to miscarriage or one baby dying in the womb."

Danielle and Tony, who plan to get married next year, are now planning to set up a twins group.

She added: "We just feel like we are so lucky because there are people out there who this happens to and the babies don't make it through."