Manama: The two conjoined Saudi twins separated two days ago at a hospital in Riyadh are recovering, the head of the medical team who performed the surgery has said.
“The medical condition of Reem and Rana is stable, thank God, 48 hours after the successful separation,” Abdullah Al Rabeeah, the team leader and Saudi Arabia’s health minister, said.
The separated sisters are on an artificial respirator, but will be gradually eased off. Their movements are normal and they are expected to remain at the paediatric intensive care unit at the King Abdul Aziz Medical City for National Guards for two weeks, he added.
The stay allows the medical team to monitor more closely the development of their condition following the delicate surgery, local Arabic daily Al Madinah reported on Sunday.
The twins will be transferred to the children’s ward for further rehabilitation and physiotherapy.
The 13-hour surgery on Thursday to part the twins’ lower abdomen, pelvis, fused urogenital system and lower back was carried out by a team of experts in anaesthesia, urology, orthopaedics, paediatrics, plastic surgery and nursing.
The twins’ parents, elated by the success of the surgery, expressed their gratitude to Saudi King Abdulllah Bin Abdul Aziz for his compassion and for supporting the surgery and to the medical team for their prowess.
Saudi Arabia has gained an impressively outstanding reputation for surgeries to separate conjoined twins, both from the country and from abroad.
