Fijian Conjoined Twins Separated in 12‑Hour Saudi Surgery

Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, Advisor at the Royal Court and Supervisor General of the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief), said that Fijian conjoined twins Jasepeli and Desicia were successfully separated after a 12‑hour and 45‑minute surgery on Thursday.

Surgery Details

He added that the operation took place at King Abdullah Specialized Children’s Hospital, which is part of King Abdulaziz Medical City under the Ministry of National Guard Health Affairs in Riyadh.

According to Dr. Al-Rabeeah, the procedure involved 34 consultants, specialists, technical and nursing staff from anaesthesiology, pediatric surgery, plastic surgery, orthopedic surgery, urology and supporting specialties, and was carried out over nine stages.

He noted that the twins were joined at the abdomen and pelvis and shared the liver, intestines, colon, anus, urinary system, reproductive system and pelvic bone.

Programme Background

Dr. Al-Rabeeah said this was the first conjoined‑twin separation involving twins from Fiji and the 74th operation in the history of the Saudi Conjoined Twins Programme. He added that the programme, which has been running for more than 35 years, has covered 28 countries across five continents and has assessed 159 cases worldwide.

Responses and Gratitude

On behalf of himself and the team, Dr. Al-Rabeeah expressed his gratitude to Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman and Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman for their generous support of the programme, which has helped establish Saudi Arabia as a global leader in the field. He also thanked the medical and surgical team for their great efforts.

The twins’ family expressed deep gratitude to King Salman and the Crown Prince for the advanced medical care provided, and praised the Saudi medical team’s efforts in ensuring the success of the operation and the twins’ safety.