The surgical procedure of separating the 6-month-old conjoined Filipino twins – Akeiza and Aisha – has begun in Saudi Arabia. The twins had been admitted to King Abdullah Specialist Children’s Hospital at the Ministry of National Guard.
There, it was found that they are conjoined at the lower chest and abdomen, sharing a liver, and possibly intestines. Each twin has complete upper and lower limbs. Multiple and precise examinations were conducted to ascertain the possibility of their separation.
The process, expected to take 7.5 hours, will be done in five stages and has a 70 per cent success rate.
The operation involves 23 specialist doctors, consultants, and nursing and technical staff in the fields of anaesthesia, paediatric surgery, plastic surgery, and other supporting specialities.