Saudi surgeons separate Egyptian conjoined twins

RIYADH: A team of Saudi surgeons successfully separated a pair of Egyptian conjoined twins named Salma and Sarah after complex surgery that lasted 17 hours in Riyadh.
“In implementation of the directives of King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the specialized surgical team managed to separate the Egyptian twins Salma and Sarah, who shared the head area, after a complex surgery that lasted 17 hours,” said the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center in a statement on Thursday.
The operation began at 8 a.m. Wednesday at the King Abdullah Specialist Hospital for Children, in King Abdulaziz Medical City, undertaken by a team of 31 consultants, specialists, support staff and nurses, KSrelief told Arab News.
The multidisciplinary team was led by Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, an adviser to the Saudi Royal Court and supervisor-general of the KSrelief.
Al-Rabeeah said that the twins arrived in the Kingdom Nov. 23, 2021, and the specialized team subsequently conducted a number of medical examinations.
He said the surgical team, led by Dr. Moatasem Al-Zoubi from pediatric neurosurgery, Dr. Muhammad Al-Fawzan from plastic surgery, and Dr. Nizar Al-Zughaibi from pediatric anesthesia, decided to perform the surgery in four separate operations, with several weeks between each, to separate the brains and common venous sinuses of the twins.
In addition, three operations were done to stretch their skin where appropriate by plastic surgery, with the four operations to separate the twins taking about 57 hours in total, including 17 hours for the final operation.
Dr. Al-Zoubi reported that the operation was complicated in the adhesion area, especially in the location of the venous sinuses, which forced the surgical team to perform the operation in the four separate stages to ensure the safety of the twins.
Saudi Arabia’s humanitarian initiatives have previously assisted with 130 cases of conjoined twins from 23 countries over a period of 33 years, said Al-Rabeeah.
He expressed his appreciation to King Salman and the crown prince for the great support that the conjoined twins separation program in the Kingdom receives, which enables the medical team to achieve its unprecedented success.
He praised the efforts of his fellow medics for the successful operation.
The parents of the twins expressed their thanks and gratitude to King Salman and the crown prince for the operations and provision of necessary assistance, and praised the great humanitarian work that the Kingdom is doing.

Saudi surgeons separate Egyptian conjoined twins