RIYADH, 26 June 2005 — The conjoined Egyptian twins, Alaa and Walaa, were successfully separated yesterday after 11 1/2 hours of surgery. The medical team was headed by Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, chief executive officer of the King Abdul Aziz Medical City for National Guard (KAAMCNG), Riyadh. The surgery was performed on instructions from Crown Prince Abdullah who has sponsored several other such operations.
Born April 19 at the KAAMCNG, the twins were joined at the lower chest and abdomen. The twins shared a liver and a bowel and there was also a defect (omphalocele) in the abdominal wall. Walaa had major heart anomalies such as an underdeveloped (hypoplastic) right ventricle, a defect between the ventricles (VSD) and also a defect between the atria (ASD). The twins’ respiratory, urinary, genital systems and upper and lower limbs were all normal.
The surgical team headed by Dr. Al-Rabeeah included Dr. Mohammed El-Gammal, Dr. Fawez Habib, Dr. Abeer Tashkandi, Dr. Osama Atiyah, Saleh Al-Bishi, Dakhilallah Al-Mutairi, Dr. Saud Al-Jadaan, Dr. Asia Al-Rawaf, Dr. Mohammed Al-Namshan, Diana Boegh, Connie Chan, Judith Lu Que, Racquel Edroso and Justina Francol.
Speaking to the press, Dr. Asia Al Rawaf, head of the pediatrics department, said: “Everything went smoothly. The team found a shared ampulla and a fused distal common bile duct between Alaa and Walaa. The ampulla was given to Walaa and for Alaa the divided common bile duct was re-implanted in the jejunum.”
Egyptian Ambassador Mohammed Abdul Hameed Qassim thanked the crown prince for his help.
