RIYADH, 3 July 2007 — Saudi conjoined twins Abdullah and Abdulrahman successfully underwent yesterday a separation surgery here at the King Abdul Aziz Medical City (KAMC).
This was the 14th separation surgery to be performed at the KAMC under the leadership of Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, head of the surgical team.
“We separated the babies before the scheduled time since we were able to complete various phases without any problems,” Rabeeah told newsmen. The 21-hour surgery began at 7.30 a.m. yesterday and was done in 10 phases.
The procedure was carried out by KAMC on the directive from Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah, who bore the cost of the operation and related expenses. The family members of the twins were also accommodated in a luxury apartment in the KAMC Housing Compound.
The twins were born at the hospital through caesarian operation on Dec. 13, 2005. The mother of the twins was transferred from Madinah to KAMC for safe delivery of the conjoined twins. “The surgery had to be delayed due to some serious complications and the infants had to undergo surgeries to prepare them for the major separation,” Rabeeah said, pointing out that it took several months for the twins to improve and gain a combined weight of 13 kgs.
Although the estimated success rate was 65 percent, Rabeeah said the surgical team handled the case with great care and confidence.
Surgeon Dr. Mohammed Al-Namshan told Arab News that the operation steadily progressed as scheduled.”
Dr. Osama Bawazir from the King Faisal Specialist Hospital (KFSH), a member of the surgical team, said there was little bleeding during the surgery. “No extra blood was required for the operation,” he said.
Dr. Abdullah Al-Thunayan, the plastic surgeon on the team, said the twins underwent reconstructive surgery on June 5 in preparation for post-separation plastic surgery. Throughout the surgery, the father of twins, Nawaf Al Tammimi, was on tenterhooks. He thanked King Abdullah for his generosity and members of the medical team.
