RIYADH — One week after the separation of the Yemeni conjoined twins Abdulaziz and Abdullah, the condition of the surviving twin Abdulaziz has become stable after recovery from anesthesia. The other twin Abdullah had died soon after the completion of the operation at the King Abdullah Specialist Children's Hospital in King Abdulaziz Medical City at the Ministry of the National Guard Health Affairs here.
The operation on the conjoined twins was carried out in line with the directives of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman.
Abdulaziz is now responding to his parents and the medical team. The respirator was lifted Thursday and he is now breathing naturally, Saudi Press Agency (SPA) said.
Dr. Abdullah Abdulaziz Al-Rabeah, adviser to the royal court, supervisor general of the King Salman Center for Relief and Humanitarian Work and head of the medical team, said all the vital organs are functioning normally.
The twin Abdullah, who was suffering from severe atrophy of the brain and congenital defects in the heart, kidneys and arteries of the abdomen, died after the operation as expected by the medical team, which had explained to the twins' parents about Abdullah's minimal chances of survival.
Dr. Al-Rabeah expects the twin Abdulaziz to stay in the Intensive Care Unit for two weeks. Then he will be transferred to the children's wing to complete rehabilitation before being released from the hospital.
The surgical operation for the Yemeni conjoined twins was conducted last Friday in eight stages. It took ten hours and a half. Over 30 surgeons and specialists took part in the surgery. It is the 37th operation in the Kingdom's conjoined twins program.
