RIYADH–A team of Saudi Arabian doctors successfully performed an operation to separate conjoined Somali twins at King Abdullah Specialized Children’s Hospital in Riyadh. The 13-month-old twins, Rahma and Ramla, were joined at the lower part of their bodies, specifically in the belly and hips. The 14-hour operation was carried out in eight phases by a team of 37 doctors, health experts, and nurses specializing in anesthesia, pediatrics, and bone and surgery reorganization. The twins were brought to Saudi Arabia in May of last year after King Salman ordered a health diagnosis to determine the feasibility of the surgery. The lead doctor for the operation was Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, head of the Saudi Conjoined Twins Program. Prior to the surgery, it was reported that each twin had two complete legs, but they shared bones in the hips, large intestine, and rectum, while their urinary and reproductive systems were not separate. Post-surgery, it was discovered that Ramla’s two kidneys had stopped functioning and she required dialysis, while Rahma had a non-functioning left kidney and a right kidney with water blisters, but was fully functional. Despite initial predictions of a 40% success rate due to the twins’ health conditions, the doctors were ultimately able to successfully separate them.
