Saudi surgeons successfully separate Nigerian conjoined twins after 14-hour operation
Saudi surgeons successfully separate Nigerian conjoined twins after 14-hour operation
Hassanah and Hassina, the conjoined Nigerian twins, have been successfully separated after a 14-hour operation in Saudi Arabia.
They were born on January 12, 2022, in Kaduna, and shared an abdomen, pelvis, liver, intestines, and urinary and reproductive systems.
According to Arab News, an 85-member specialist medical team at the King Abdullah Specialist Hospital for Children in King Abdulaziz Medical City completed seven out of eight stages of the surgery successfully.
The conjoined twins and their parents were airlifted to Riyadh on November 9, 2022, with the approval of the King, who generously funded the separation procedure.
Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, the leader of the surgical team and an advisor to the Saudi Royal Court, as well as the supervisor-general of King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre, stated that the operation would consist of eight stages.
This successful procedure marks Saudi Arabia’s continued commitment to humanitarian initiatives, having previously assisted with 130 cases of conjoined twins from 23 countries over a span of 33 years.
Hassana and Hassina will be the 56th set of twins to be separated as a result of these efforts, as reported by Arab News.
Yahaya Lawal, Nigeria’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia, expressed gratitude to the Kingdom’s leadership for their compassionate humanitarian gesture towards these conjoined twins.