Iraqi conjoined twins separated in Riyadh after 11-hour long surgery

Ali and Omer were successfully separated at the King Abdullah Specialized Children’s Hospital. (Image: @SPAregions/Twitter)

Ali and Omer, two Iraqi conjoined twins, were separated after a 11-hour long successful surgery by a team of 27 doctors, specialists, nurses and technical staff in Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh.

The twins were conjoined at the lower chest and abdomen and shared a liver, bile ducts, and intestines. The surgery was performed on directives from King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, making it the 54th procedure of the Saudi Conjoined Twins Program.

Under the programme, 127 conjoined twins from 23 countries during the past 32 years have been separated according to reports.

Ali and Omer were successfully separated at the King Abdullah Specialized Children’s Hospital in a long surgery divided into six phases.

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Dr Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, who supervised the surgery, had said that such an operation only has a 70 per cent success rate as many organs were shared by the children.

He thanked the team who performed the surgery, and added that the achievement reflected the leadership’s willingness to help people and is working towards the goal of developing the country’s health sector and advance its quality and efficiency.

Ali and Omer’s parents arrived in Riyadh in September last year. Saudi Arabia has help separate four other conjoined twins from twins since the implementation of the medical programme since 1990.

The parents extended their gratitude to the Saudi king and crown prince for the surgery, and for providing their children with all necessary treatment.