Conjoined twins Yara and Lara, aged seven months, were successfully separated in a complex operation. The twins were connected at the lower abdomen and pelvis, sharing a lower colon and rectum, with additional overlap in the urinary and reproductive systems and the pelvic bone.
Dr. Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al-Rabeeah, head of the specialized medical and surgical team affiliated with the Saudi Program for Conjoined Twins, announced the success of the separation. He explained that the operation was the 65th in a series of surgeries under the program, which has evaluated 150 cases from 27 countries over 35 years and successfully separated 64 pairs of conjoined twins.
"The continuous successes achieved by the Saudi Program for Conjoined Twins reflect Saudi excellence in this delicate field and contribute to establishing the Kingdom's position as a leading center in the field of separating conjoined twins," Dr. Al-Rabeeah said, according to Asharq Al-Awsat.
The intricate surgery lasted twelve and a half continuous hours at King Abdullah Specialist Children's Hospital in King Abdulaziz Medical City, Ministry of National Guard, in Riyadh. A total of 38 members participated in the operation, including consultants and specialists in anesthesia, pediatric surgery, pediatric urology, plastic surgery, orthopedics, as well as nursing and technical staff.
Dr. Al-Rabeeah noted that the operation was delicate, with an estimated success rate of 70%.
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