RIYADH, 2 July 2007 — Saudi conjoined twins Abdullah and Abdul Rahman are scheduled to undergo a separation surgery today at the King Abdul Aziz Medical City (KAMC) here.
“The surgery is to be performed on a directive from Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah and it is expected to last 21 hours,” said Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, the head of the surgical team.
In preparation for the separation, he said the team carried out a rehearsal procedure on Saturday.
The twins, with a combined weight of 3.39 kg, were born through cesarean operation on Dec. 13, 2005.
Preliminary medical tests conducted by the multidisciplinary team revealed that the twins share a liver, large bowel, urinary and genital system and one pelvis.
“The twins were in a critical condition and they were kept in a neonatal intensive care unit for many months,” Dr. Al-Rabeeah said, indicating that they were subjected to emergency operations.
