Acting on the directives of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, the medical and surgical team of the Saudi Conjoined Twins Program began Thursday the separation surgery for 13-month-old Fijian conjoined twins Jasbili and Desisia at King Abdullah Specialist Children’s Hospital in Riyadh. Supervisor General of the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center and head of the program’s surgical team Dr. Abdullah Al Rabeeah said in a statement that the twins arrived in the Kingdom on July 21, 2026. The medical team conducted a thorough assessment, including comprehensive medical examinations and several consultations. It concluded that the twins were conjoined at the abdomen and pelvis and shared the liver, intestines, colon, anus, urinary system, reproductive system, and pelvic bone. He explained that the medical and surgical team has planned the procedure to be carried out in nine stages, with an estimated duration of approximately 15 hours. A total of 34 individuals, including consultants, specialists, and technical and nursing staff, are participating in the operation. Al Rabeeah stated that, based on medical assessment, this is a complex procedure with a success rate of 70%. He noted that this marks the first separation of conjoined twins from the Republic of Fiji and is the 74th case handled by the Saudi Conjoined Twins Program. Since 1990, the program has provided care for 159 sets of conjoined twins from 28 countries across five continents.
