RIYADH: Egyptian conjoined twins who were successfully separated following surgery performed by a team of medical personnel led by Health Minister Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah in February this year left for Cairo with their parents yesterday.
Dr. Saadi Al-Taher, executive director of medical affairs at Riyadh’s King Abdulaziz Medical City (KAMC) and Saami Al-Shalaan, director of public relations at the KAMC, were present to see off the twins — Hassan and Mahmoud — at the hospital.
Following a request by the children’s parents, the twins were brought to the Kingdom for the surgery under a special directive issued by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah on Feb. 10.
The twins underwent a series of clinical tests before undergoing surgery. The nine-month-old twins, who were joined at the abdomen, were separated after nine hours of surgery on Feb. 28.
The father of the twins thanked King Abdullah and Al-Rabeeah’s team for making his dream come true. “We are going back to our country with great pride and happiness that were given to us through the magnanimity of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques,” the father added.
Mahmoud and Hassan were brought to the Kingdom with their parents who were provided boarding and lodging until their children were discharged from hospital following the operation. The parents performed Umrah prior to their departure. This was Al-Rabeeah’s first separation surgery after becoming minister of health earlier this year. Al-Rabeeah, who was previously chief executive officer of KAMC until a Cabinet reshuffle early this year, vowed to continue separation surgeries.
Al-Rabeeah performed his first separation surgery in the Kingdom in December 1990 at Riyadh's King Faisal Specialist Hospital.
