Riyadh – By the directives of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, the medical team of the Saudi Conjoined Twins Programme, led by Supervisor General of the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSrelief) and head of the medical team Dr. Abdullah Al Rabeeah began the separation of the Syrian conjoined twins, Celine and Eleen Abdulmoneim Alshibli, this morning at the King Abdullah Specialist Children’s Hospital (KASCH) of King Abdulaziz Medical City in Riyadh.
In a statement to the Saudi Press Agency, Dr. Al Rabeeah said the family of the Syrian conjoined twins are refugees residing in Lebanon. Their mother was pregnant with triplets—two conjoined girls and a healthy, non-conjoined boy. The babies were born via cesarean section on February 28, 2024, in Beirut. The twins are currently one year and five months old, with a combined weight of 14 kilograms.
The conjoined twins arrived in the Kingdom on December 29, 2024, through coordinated efforts between the ministries of foreign affairs and defense, and were admitted to KASCH. Following several consultations with the medical team and comprehensive examinations, it was determined that the twins were joined at the lower chest and abdomen, sharing a pericardium and liver, with a possible connection of the intestines as well.
The operation is expected to last approximately nine hours and will be carried out in six stages. The surgical team includes 24 consultants and specialists, alongside nursing and technical staff, covering specialties such as anesthesia, pediatric surgery, plastic surgery, and other supporting fields.
Dr. Al Rabeeah stated that this is the fourth operation to separate conjoined twins from Syria, highlighting that over the past 35 years, the medical team has studied and evaluated 150 cases and successfully separated 65 conjoined twins from 27 countries, all part of the Saudi Conjoined Twins Programme.
BY: The Times Union – SPA
