RIYADH — Under the directives of King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, a 15-hour operation to separate 13-month-old Fijian conjoined twins Jaspili and Disisia began Thursday morning in Riyadh.
The complex procedure, which has an estimated 70 percent chance of success, is being carried out in nine stages by a team of 34 medical professionals under the Saudi Conjoined Twins Program.
The operation is taking place at King Abdullah Specialist Children’s Hospital at King Abdulaziz Medical City, affiliated with the Ministry of National Guard.
Dr. Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al-Rabeeah, Supervisor General of the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) and head of the program’s medical and surgical team, said the twins arrived in Saudi Arabia on July 21, 2026.
Following their admission, the medical team conducted detailed examinations and assessments, determining that the twins are conjoined at the abdomen and pelvis and share the liver, intestines, colon, anus, urinary system, reproductive system and pelvic bone.
Al-Rabeeah said the operation involves consultants, specialists, technical staff and nurses from anesthesiology, pediatric surgery, plastic surgery, orthopedic surgery, urology and supporting specialties.
He explained that the estimated success rate was determined through multidisciplinary medical assessments and detailed diagnostic studies.
The procedure marks the first separation operation involving conjoined twins from Fiji and the 74th separation operation under the Saudi Conjoined Twins Program.
Since 1990, the program has provided care to 159 sets of conjoined twins from 28 countries across five continents.
Al-Rabeeah expressed his gratitude, on behalf of himself and the medical and surgical team, to King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for their generous support of the program, which he said has helped establish Saudi Arabia as a distinguished global center in the field.
He also prayed for the twins’ speedy recovery and safe return to their home country.
Source: Saudi Gazette