RIYADH: Pakistani conjoined twins will be separated in an operation on Saturday following directives from Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman.

The surgery will be done by a multidisciplinary team of 20 doctors and specialists, headed by adviser at the Royal Court Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah at the King Abdullah Specialist Children’s Hospital.

This is the first time separation surgery will be performed on conjoined twins from Pakistan.

Al-Rabeeah said a series of clinical tests were conducted before deciding the surgery date. It was revealed that the female twins, Fatima and Mishal, are conjoined at the lower chest and abdomen and they share the wall of the chest and liver.

Al-Rabeeah predicted an 80 percent success rate in the surgery, which will take seven hours and will be carried out in six stages beginning with anesthesia, keyhole examination, sterilization, opening the abdomen and separation of the liver.

On parent’s request, King Salman tasked the Ministry of National Guard with overseeing the operation. Transportation and accommodation for the parents and other expenses are being borne by the Saudi government.

The parents thanked King Salman for his magnanimity, which will help their daughters lead normal lives. Thanking the king, Pakistan Ambassador Manzoor Ul Haq told Arab News that he has plenty of confidence in the specialized doctors who are performing the surgery. “I wish them success in their efforts.”

Saturday’s separation will be the 40th surgery to be performed on Siamese twins in the Kingdom since 1990, on cases from more than 18 countries.

Dr. Al-Rabeeah, former health minister, is the pioneer of separation surgeries in the Kingdom.

Besides the Kingdom, the twins came from Sudan, Syria, Yemen, Egypt, Malaysia, Philippines, Poland, Morocco and Iraq.