Operation to separate Syrian conjoined twins begins in Saudi hospital
The procedure to separate Celine and Eileen Abdulmunem Al-Shabli is taking place at King Abdullah Specialist Children's Hospital in King Abdulaziz Medical City in Riyadh.
Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, who heads the surgical team and is an advisor at the royal court and supervisor general of Saudi aid agency KSrelief, said the twins come from a Syrian family who sought refuge in Lebanon and had arrived in Saudi Arabia last December.
Al-Rabeeah said the mother was pregnant with triplets, two conjoined girls and one healthy, non-conjoined boy. On Feb. 28, 2024, the mother gave birth to the triplets in a caesarean section at Rafik Hariri Hospital in Beirut, he said.
The twins are now one year and five months old. Their combined weight is 14 kilograms.
He explained that the Syrian conjoined twins arrived from Lebanon to Saudi Arabia on Dec. 29, 2024, in cooperation with the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Defense.
The Saudi medical teams conducted extensive and accurate examinations of the twins ahead of the operation.
The operation is expected take about nine hours, and is being carried out in six stages, with the participation of 24 consultants and specialist doctors.
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