Saudi surgeons successfully separate Filipino conjoined twins in 18.5-hour operation

The conjoined twins medical team of Saudi Arabia on Friday completed the separation of Filipino twins Klea and Moris Ann after an 18-and-a-half-hour surgery described as one of the most complex cases in the world.

The operation was carried out at King Abdullah Specialist Children’s Hospital within King Abdulaziz Medical City under the Ministry of National Guard.

Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, the head of the medical and surgical team, said the team successfully completed the fourth and fifth stages of the procedure, which included reconstruction, cosmetic repair and closure of the skull.

He noted that the first three stages of the operation had earlier been completed successfully.

Al-Rabeeah said the Saudi Conjoined Twins Program has helped improve the quality of life for children and families while strengthening the Kingdom’s humanitarian and medical standing globally.

He also commended the medical and surgical team for their professional and humanitarian efforts in serving patients regardless of nationality.

The Saudi Conjoined Twins Program is internationally recognized for handling some of the world’s most difficult separation surgeries.

The surgical team, led by Mutasim Al-Zoubi, planned the procedure in five stages involving 30 consultants, specialists, nurses and technicians across multiple fields including anaesthesia, intensive care, advanced imaging and plastic surgery.

Al-Rabeeah said the risk level of the procedure was estimated at 50 percent because of the medical challenges involved, with the possibility of severe neurological complications that could result in disability reaching 60 percent.

He said an international specialized medical center was consulted and its assessment aligned with the Saudi team’s evaluation regarding the complexity and risks of the surgery.

The twins’ parents were fully briefed on the condition and the surgical plan, he added.

This marks the 70th separation surgery under the Saudi Conjoined Twins Program, which since 1990 has cared for 157 sets of conjoined twins from 28 countries across five continents.–Saudi Gazette