Riyadh-- Based upon the directives of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz, and HRH Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Yemeni conjoined twins “Salman and Abdullah”, sons of Youssef Eid Al-Molahi, were successfully separated on Thursday, 16 February 2023, in a 6-phase, 8-hour procedure at the King Abdullah Specialized Children’s Hospital at the Ministry of National Guard – Health Affairs.
The twins were conjoined at the abdomen and pelvis and shared intestinal, urinary and reproductive systems. They had an anal sphincter defect, atrophy of the lower abdominal wall, and deformity and conjoining between the bladder and colon. The surgical team comprised 35 specialists in anesthesia, pediatric surgery, urology, plastic surgery and orthopedics, in addition to nursing and technical staff.
Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, Supervisor General of King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSrelief) and Head of the Surgical and Multidisciplinary Teams of the Saudi Conjoined Twins Program, told the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) that Salman and Abdullah, who are from Yemen’s Al Jawf governorate, were around four months old and had a combined weight of 8.6 pounds at the time of the surgery. He added that their condition at birth was critical, in part because they had a connection between the aorta and the pulmonary artery, which necessitated an emergency procedure to correct. Another emergency procedure was performed to create a colonic drainage hole from the abdominal wall.
Dr. Al-Rabeeah expressed his thanks to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s leadership for their ongoing generosity and compassion in helping to provide these special children with the best possible chance to live full, healthy lives. He extended his sincere thanks to all of the other members of the medical and surgical teams for their exceptional efforts and ongoing commitment to the Saudi Conjoined Twins Program. These medical achievements, Dr. Al-Rabeeah added, reflected the Kingdom’s overall dedication to helping people in need around the world, particularly children. The work of the program is also in line with one of the goals of Saudi Vision 2030 to enhance the quality and efficiency of the country’s medical sector.
The parents of the boys expressed their heartfelt thanks to the Kingdom’s leadership and to the medical team for helping their sons, and also conveyed their gratitude for the warm hospitality they have been shown by everyone involved in the twins’ care.
This is the eighth pair of conjoined twins from Yemen separated by the Saudi Conjoined Twins Program; the babies have traveled to the Kingdom from a number of Yemeni governorates, including Sanaa, Sa’dah, Aden, Al Jawf and Taiz. Over the past 32 years, this unique program has reviewed 127 cases from 23 countries. Today’s separation marked the 55th conducted by the Saudi Conjoined Twins Program, which is considered to be one of the leading of its kind in the world. The Kingdom covers all costs for medical care, transportation, accommodation, and other expenses for the twins and their accompanying family members.
Source: Saudi Press Agency
