Saudi Doctors Begin Complex Surgery to Separate Syrian Conjoined Twins

RIYADH: A highly specialized Saudi medical team has begun a delicate operation to separate Syrian conjoined twin girls at the King Abdullah Specialist Children’s Hospital in Riyadh.

The twins, Celine and Eileen Abdulmunem Al-Shabli, are undergoing the complex procedure under the supervision of Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, head of the surgical team, royal court advisor, and supervisor general of the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief).

According to Dr. Al-Rabeeah, the girls were born to a Syrian refugee family in Lebanon on February 28, 2024, via caesarean section at Rafik Hariri Hospital in Beirut. The mother was pregnant with triplets—the two conjoined girls and one healthy boy.

The twins, now one year and five months old and weighing a combined 14 kilograms, were transferred from Lebanon to Saudi Arabia on December 29, 2024, in coordination with the Saudi Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Defense.

Prior to the surgery, the medical team conducted extensive and precise examinations to assess the complexity of the separation.

The operation is expected to last around nine hours and will be carried out in six stages, involving 24 consultants and specialist doctors from various disciplines.

Saudi Arabia’s Conjoined Twins Program, led by Dr. Al-Rabeeah, has successfully separated numerous conjoined twins from different countries over the years, reaffirming the Kingdom’s commitment to humanitarian medical aid.