Conjoined twins separated following six-hour surgery in Saudi Arabia

Doctors have separated two-year-old conjoined twins in a complex procedure in Saudi Arabia.

Olivia and Gianna, originally from the Philippines, undertook the six-part operation that involved 22 specialised medical staff at the King Abdullah Specialist Children’s Hospital (KASCH) on Thursday.

They were born connected from the chest to the abdomen in a very rare condition known as “thoraco-omphalopagus” conjoining.

“Gianna and Olivia were conjoined at the chest and abdomen. they shared heart membranes and the liver,” Dr Ali Al-Shahri told reporters in footage shared by Al Jazeera.

“The operation was conducted smoothly and they have now been transferred to intensive care.” He added that the twins, who underwent extensive preparation for the surgery, are in a stable condition.

“We are performing the routine post-operative procedures monitoring vital functions, fluids and providing respiratory support,” he explained.

“In cases like theirs, they usually recover for three to five days and leave intensive care afterwards.”

The six-hour procedure was conducted the the Saudi Conjoined Twins Programme (SCTP). The Saudi government is reported to have paid for all the costs of the separation and aftercare, according to the Philippines News Agency.

“Finally, this is the day we have been waiting for — the day they will have normal lives and live as two separate individuals,”: said Ginalyn Manuel, the twins’ mother.

The SCTP is said to have conducted over 70 operations on conjoined twins and Olivia and Gianna are the fourth pair to be separated.

Last year, a team of doctors from more than 20 countries, operated on twins conjoined at the head in a complex procedure that took place in the United Arab Emirates.

Mercy and Goodness born in Ekiti in Nigeria, were born in June 2023 with fused skulls and brain tissues and blood vessels that were intertwined at their birth. They were separated at 19 months and have reportedly made full recoveries and returned to Nigeria.

They were referred to the British charity Gemini Untwined at the age of six months.

“The separation of Goodness and Mercy is a landmark case planned and executed with a precision not encountered before,” said Professor Noor ul Owase Jeelani, of the Great Ormond Street Hospital, according to The Times.

“Building on the experience of our previous eight cases, using novel techniques and strategies, we are able to give these girls and their families a new future, where they can enjoy their childhood as intact but separated twins.”

Both have reportedly made full recoveries.