month-old Siamese twins from Morocco, connected since birth at the chest and stomach, were separated in a successful operation at the King Abdul Aziz Medical City of the National Guard (KAMC), here, Saturday. Safa and Marwa, who shared the same liver and digestive system, were operated by a multidisciplinary team of 24 medical and paramedical staff, in a seven-phase surgery which took approximately nine hours. The two girls have been transferred to the PICU, said a press release issued by KAMC. In a press conference after the separation, Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabi'ah, Consultant Pediatric Surgeon, NGHA, who led the surgical team, said the seven-stage operation was successful. This is the 19th such operation carried out successfully at the center, he said. The 20th operation, for Siamese twins from Iraq, is due to be carried out in the holy month of Ramadan, Dr. Al-Rabi'ah said. To date conjoined twins from Iraq, Egypt, Oman, Poland, PhilippinesMalaysia, Sudan besides Saudi Arabia have been separated in successful surgeries. Meanwhile, Moroccan Ambassador to the Kingdom Abdul Kareem Al-Sammar and the parents of Safa and Marwa expressed thanks to Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah for his generosity in bearing the cost of the operation. The twins were hospitalized on arrival in the Saudi capital on April 4, accompanied by their parents.
