Saudi Arabia begins 15-hour operation to separate Tanzanian conjoined twins
RIYADH — Under the directives of King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the 15 hours-long operation to separate Tanzanian conjoined twins Laitiyens and Lovens, began Thursday morning. The procedure, which has an estimated 70 percent chance of success, is being carried out in nine stages by a team of 44 medical professionals under the Saudi Conjoined Twins Program. The operation for the twins — two years and two months — is taking place at King Abdullah Specialist Children’s Hospital at King Abdulaziz Medical City, affiliated with the Ministry of National Guard. **media[2786780]** Dr. Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al-Rabeeah, Supervisor General of the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) and head of the program’s medical and surgical team, said the twins arrived in Saudi Arabia on January 27, 2026. Following their admission, the medical team conducted detailed examinations, which revealed that the twins are conjoined at the pelvis and hips and have four lower limbs. They also share the lower portion of the intestines, the spine, lumbar vertebrae and spinal cord. The twins also underwent a skin expansion procedure that took several months to prepare them for separation. Al-Rabeeah said the operation involves consultants, specialists, nursing and technical staff from anesthesiology, pediatric surgery, pediatric neurosurgery, urology and plastic surgery. **media[2786779]** The procedure marks the fourth separation operation involving conjoined twins from Tanzania and the 75th separation operation under the Saudi Conjoined Twins Program. Since 1990, the program has provided care to 160 sets of conjoined twins from 29 countries across five continents. Al-Rabeeah expressed his gratitude, on behalf of himself and the medical and surgical team, to King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for their continued support of the program. He also prayed for the operation’s success and for the twins’ health and well-being.