Filipino conjoined twins separated in Saudi

MANILA, Philippines — Filipino conjoined twins Olivia Faith and Jiana Faith Manuel were successfully separated by medical specialists in an operation conducted in a hospital in Saudi Arabia on Thursday.

A multidisciplinary surgical team comprising 22 medical specialists performed the procedure at the King Abdullah Specialist Children’s Hospital in Riyadh.

According to the office of the Saudi Arabian ambassador, the medical team in charge of the operation followed a precise treatment plan aligned with the highest international medical standards.

“The separation procedure for the Filipino twins underwent multiple stages and was part of an integrated medical system designed to ensure the highest levels of safety and patient care,” the embassy said.

It said the twins are now in stable condition and still under monitoring in the hospital.This initiative forms part of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s longstanding humanitarian and medical efforts in providing care for complex and critical medical cases from various countries around the world.

According to the embassy, the operation on the twins represents the 72nd procedure within the series of conjoined twin separation surgeries carried out under the Saudi Program for Conjoined Twins, which has provided advanced medical services to humanitarian cases from 28 countries since its establishment in 1990.

The program reflects the kingdom’s global leadership in this specialized humanitarian and medical field and stands as one of the largest and most distinguished initiatives worldwide dedicated to the separation of conjoined twins.

The surgery of the Manuel twins is the fourth for Filipino twins under the program.

Last April, twins Klea Ann and Maurice Ann Misa also underwent a successful operation.

Conjoined twins are two babies born physically connected to each other, most often at the chest, abdomen or pelvis.In the case of Olivia and Jiana, they are connected from the chest to the abdomen, a type of twinning known as “thoraco-omphalopagus” conjoining.