RIYADH — The specialized medical and surgical team of the Saudi Conjoined Twins Program have achieved a new medical milestone on Thursday by successfully separating Fijian conjoined twins—Jasepeli and Desicia.
The operation was performed at King Abdullah Specialized Children’s Hospital, part of King Abdulaziz Medical City under the Ministry of National Guard Health Affairs in Riyadh. Advisor at the Royal Court and Supervisor General of the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief), and head of the medical and surgical team Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah said that the Fijian conjoined twins were successfully separated through the surgery that took 12 hours and 45 minutes, over nine stages.
He said the operation was carried out with the participation of 34 consultants, specialists, and technical and nursing staff from anesthesiology, pediatric surgery, plastic surgery, orthopedic surgery, urology, and supporting specialties.
Dr. Al- Rabeeah said the twins were joined at the abdomen and pelvis and shared the liver, intestines, colon, anus, urinary system, reproductive system, and pelvic bone. He noted that this was the first conjoined twin separation operation involving twins from Fiji and the 74th operation in the history of the Saudi Conjoined Twins Program. The program, which spans more than 35 years, has covered 28 countries across five continents, and has assessed 159 cases worldwide.
On behalf of himself and all team members, Dr. Al-Rabeeah expressed his gratitude to Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman and Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman for their generous support of the Saudi Conjoined Twins Program, which has helped establish Saudi Arabia as a global leader in this field.
He also thanked the medical and surgical team for their great efforts. The Fijian twins’ family expressed their deep gratitude to King Salman and the Crown Prince for the advanced medical care provided. They also praised the Saudi medical team’s efforts in ensuring the success of the operation and the twins’ safety.
Source: Saudi Gazette