Based upon the directives of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz, and HRH Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi conjoined twins were separated on Thursday, 5 January 2023, at the King Abdullah Specialized Children’s Hospital at the Ministry of National Guard – Health Affairs.

The twins were born in May 2022, and were immediately transported to Riyadh. They were under close observation by the medical team as they gained the weight required for separation, and also underwent a series of neurological examinations based upon their type of joining – referred to as “pygopagus”, meaning conjoined at the lower back in the coccyx region.

The twins shared the base of the spinal cord The separation required extremely delicate surgery due to the location of the joining, and took under seven hours over seven phases.

The surgical team comprised 28 doctors, specialists, nursing and technical staff and was headed by Dr. Abdullah Al Rabeeah, Supervisor General of King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSrelief) and Head of the Saudi Conjoined Twins Programme Dr. Al Rabeeah expressed his thanks to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s leadership for their ongoing generosity and compassion in helping to provide these special children with the best possible chance to live full, healthy lives. Over 32 years, this unique programme has reviewed 127 cases from 23 countries. This case was the 53rd separation conducted by the Saudi conjoined twins surgical team, and the programme is considered to be one of the leading of its kind in the world.

Dr. Nezar Zughaibi, Chairman of the Pediatric Anesthesia Department, explained that the anesthesia phase went smoothly, with all vital monitoring devices put in place to ensure.

the safety of the twins. The anesthesia plan was modified to suit the use of physiological control.