MANILA: Filipino conjoined twins, Klea Ann and Maurice Ann Misa, had been successfully separated after a complex 13-hour surgery sponsored by the Saudi Arabian government on Thursday (April 23).
The Saudi Arabian Embassy in Manila said Friday (April 24) that the operation on the twins was “one of the most complex cases worldwide,” with the participation of dozens of specialists from multiple disciplines.
“After eighteen-and-a-half hours of hope and anticipation, the twins’ mother expressed her profound joy at the success of the separation surgery, which has opened for her daughters the prospect of independent life and renewed hope for the future,” it said.
The surgery was carried out under the directives of King Salman bin Abdulaziz and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.
The twins arrived in Saudi Arabia in May 2025 and were admitted to the King Abdullah Specialized Children’s Hospital in Riyadh to undergo extensive examinations.
Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Rabeeah, who heads the humanitarian program’s medical and surgical team, said the complexity of their case was due to the positioning of the heads, extensive sharing of cerebral venous sinuses, and intertwining of brain tissue.
This was further compounded by Klea Ann’s cardiac muscle insufficiency and severe kidney atrophy with complete renal failure, significantly increasing the surgical risk.
The lead surgeon, Muatasim Al-Zoubi, elected to operate in five stages, with the participation of 30 consultants, specialists, and nursing and technical personnel representing several disciplines, including anesthesia, intensive care, advanced imaging, and plastic surgery.
Before the operation, Al Rabeeah said the risk level was estimated at 50 per cent.
Al Rabeeah said the successful surgery on the twins represents the 70th separation procedure undertaken under the Saudi Conjoined Twins Program. - Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN
