Riyadh: Surgeons in Saudi Arabia on Thursday successfully completed a complex procedure of separating Nigerian conjoined twins Hassana and Hasina at King Abdullah Specialist Children’s Hospital in King Abdulaziz Medical City in Riyadh.
The twins, who arrived in Saudi Arabia last October, share areas in the lower abdomen, pelvis, lower spine, and lower spinal nerves.
The separation surgery took about 16 and a half hour and involved 39 consultants, specialists, technical, nursing, and support staff.
Head of the medical team Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah said the operation has a 70 percent success rate and involved nine stages.
“All the doctors who have participated are Saudi colleagues. We take pride in ensuring that young cadres have participated and thus secured the continuous exchange of experience, he told Al-Ekhbariya.
“Some 38 individuals, including consultants, specialists, and nursing and technical staff, participated. There are also fresh graduates in pediatric surgery, as well as other fields of surgery.
“They are contributing with us to ensure that experience is not limited to certain people, but rather continues for years to come in a country where achievement is constant and giving is permanent,” he added.
This is the 60th operation performed by the Saudi program for separating conjoined twins. Over the past 34 years, the program has cared for 135 sets of twins from 25 countries.
Dr. Al-Rabeeah emphasized the Kingdom’s pioneering role in humanitarian work in general and medical work in particular.
He extended his sincere thanks to his fellow medical team members for their great efforts, pointing out that this medical achievement is an embodiment of Saudi medical excellence, which falls within the objectives of the Saudi Vision 2030.
He also extended his thanks and appreciation to King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for their support and follow-up of the Saudi program for separating conjoined twins.
The parents of the twins expressed thanks to King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and praised the Kingdom’s great humanitarian role.
