By In a remarkable feat of medical expertise, a team of Saudi surgeons successfully separated Nigerian conjoined twins, Hassana and Hassina, during a 14-hour operation at King Abdullah Specialist Hospital for Children in King Abdulaziz Medical City on Thursday.
The twins, who were born in Kaduna on January 12 last year, shared several vital organs, including their abdomen, pelvis, liver, intestines, and urinary and reproductive systems.
Led by Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, an advisor to the Saudi Royal Court and supervisor-general of King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre, the 85-member multidisciplinary team, consisting of medical and surgical specialists, as well as nursing and technical staff, performed the complex procedure.
Before the operation, Dr. Al-Rabeeah expressed confidence, stating, “The surgery will be conducted in eight stages.”
The initiative to separate the twins was undertaken on the directives of Saudi Arabia’s King Salman, whose country has previously provided assistance to 130 cases of conjoined twins from 23 countries over the past 33 years.
Hassana and Hassina will be the 56th set of twins to be successfully separated through Saudi Arabia’s humanitarian efforts.
Yahaya Lawal, Nigeria’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia, expressed gratitude on behalf of the Nigerian government, saying, “I take this opportunity to once again thank the custodian of the two holy mosques, the crown prince, and the entire leadership of the Kingdom for this kind humanitarian gesture extended to these conjoined Nigerian twins, Hassana and Hassina.” He also thanked the medical team led by Dr. Al-Rabeeah, conveying Nigeria’s hopes for a successful operation.
Lawal added, “We understand a number of stages have been successfully carried out and look forward to successfully finishing the remaining stages.”
