Khaberni - The operation to separate the conjoined Filipino twins, "Olivia and Gianna," was successful at King Abdullah Specialist Hospital for Children in King Abdulaziz Medical City, part of the National Guard Health Affairs in Riyadh, after 6 hours of surgery, following the directions of King Salman bin Abdulaziz and Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman.
Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, the supervisor general of the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre and head of the medical and surgical team for the Saudi Conjoined Twins Program, explained that the twins arrived in the Kingdom on January 27, 2026, at the age of two years and two months, where they underwent a series of medical examinations and precise diagnostic studies before deciding to proceed with the operation.
Attachment in the chest and abdomen and a cardiac challenge
Al-Rabeeah clarified that the twins were joined at the chest and abdomen areas, sharing the liver and potentially part of the intestines, while one of the children had a congenital heart defect, which complicated the surgical operation. He indicated that this situation required holding intensive specialized meetings to assess the case and devise an appropriate surgical plan.
Surgical preparation before separation
Al-Rabeeah further explained that in the preparation phase, the medical team performed skin expansion by implanting medical balloons under the skin, aiming to provide sufficient tissue to help close the surgical sites post-separation, thereby enhancing recovery chances and reducing complication risks.
He added, "The operation was performed with the participation of (22) consultants, specialists, nursing staff, and technical personnel, to ensure the highest levels of precision and safety throughout all stages of the operation.
Al-Rabeeah confirmed that the separation process would be conducted through six successive surgical stages, expected to take about eight hours, with the participation of 22 consultants and specialists, along with nursing teams and technicians. Moreover, the operation is considered to be among the precise and complex surgeries, and its success rate – by the will of Allah – exceeds 70%. Operation number 72 in the program’s record
He indicated that this case represents the fourth set of conjoined twins from the Philippines to be treated by the Saudi program, carrying number 72 among the separation operations conducted by the program since its inception in 1990.
Al-Rabeeah elaborated that the Saudi program for conjoined twins has provided medical care to 158 conjoined twins from 28 countries across five continents, in a medical and humanitarian experience that has enhanced the Kingdom's global stature in the field of conjoined twin separation surgeries and handling rare and complex cases.
