RIYADH — A Saudi specialized surgical team managed to separate Nigerian conjoined twins Hassana and Hasina, who were attached at the lower chest and abdomen and shared liver, bile ducts and intestines, after a complex surgery that lasted over 14 hours. The operation was conducted in eight phases, with the participation of a 36-member team of surgeons and 85 members of the multidisciplinary medical team.

Head of the medical team Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, who is Advisor at the Royal Court and Supervisor General of the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief), explained that the operation was performed under the directives of the Saudi leadership. It is the 56th opration as part of the Saudi program for the separation of conjoined twins, he added.

The Saudi program over the past 33 years managed to operate on 130 conjoined twins from 23 countries, he said underlining the Kingdom's pioneering role in humanitarian work in general and the medical profession in particular.

Dr. Al-Rabeeah thanked the medical team that performed the surgery for their efforts, saying the achievement reflected the wise leadership's keenness to help people wherever they were. He added that it also reflected Saudi medical excellence, which aligns with the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030 to develop the health sector in the Kingdom and advance its quality and efficiency.

He also extended, in his name and on behalf of his fellow members of the medical team, the appreciation and gratitude to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman and the Crown Prince for the generous support received by the Saudi program for the separation of conjoined twins. — SPA