RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA: Twelve days after the successful separation surgery of Iraqi conjoined twins “Omar and Ali” at the King Abdullah Specialized Children’s Hospital at the Ministry of National Guard – Health Affairs, 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 Programme, confirmed that the twins are in stable condition. 

In a press statement to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), Dr. Al Rabeeah added that all the twin’s vital signs are normal, and that they have begun to feed through a tube and are interacting normally with their parents; the medical team sees no worrying signs concerning the boys’ recovery. He also stated that the twins would be transferred from the intensive care unit to the regular pediatric ward within the next two days – a confirmation that their health condition is improving.

Dr. Al Rabeeah added that the tubes inserted under the boys’ skin to remove secretions, as well as the tubes that were put into place to remove bile from “Ali”, would be removed during the upcoming week. The twins are expected to stay in the hospital for 4 to 6 weeks. After that period, the medical team will decide whether they can be discharged from the hospital to continue their treatment at home.

In the statement, Dr. Al Rabeeah expressed his sincere thanks and appreciation to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and HRH the Crown for their generous and ongoing support of the Saudi Conjoined Twins Programme, adding that the Kingdom would remain a leader in providing lifesaving medical and humanitarian support to those in need around the world. 

“Omar and Ali” were separated on Thursday, 12 January 2023, in a complex 6-phase,11-hour surgery with the participation of 27 consultants, specialists, and nursing and technical cadres. This was the 54th successful separation case conducted in the Kingdom since 1990, and the fifth set of Iraqi twins to undergo this lifesaving procedure.