Saudi surgeons begin 24-hour separation of Filipino conjoined twins in one of world’s most complex cases

RIYADH — A medical and surgical team from Saudi Arabia’s conjoined twins program began Thursday a complex operation to separate Filipino twins Klea and Moris Ann, who are joined at the head, at King Abdullah Specialist Children’s Hospital.The surgery is being carried out under directives of King Salman bin Abdulaziz and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the hospital located within King Abdulaziz Medical City under the Ministry of National Guard.Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, who heads the medical and surgical team, said the twins arrived in Saudi Arabia on May 17, 2025, and underwent extensive examinations and multidisciplinary evaluations.He said the case is considered among the most complex in the world due to several medical factors, including a difficult angular position of the heads, extensive shared cerebral venous sinuses and overlapping brain tissue between the two children.Al-Rabeeah added that one of the twins was also suffering from heart muscle weakness, severe kidney atrophy and complete kidney failure, significantly increasing surgical risks.The surgical team, led by Mutasim Al-Zoubi, planned the procedure in five stages involving 30 consultants, specialists, nurses and technicians across multiple fields including anesthesia, intensive care, advanced imaging and plastic surgery.The operation is expected to last around 24 hours.Al-Rabeeah said the risk level of the procedure is estimated at 50 percent because of the medical challenges involved, with the possibility of severe neurological complications that could result in disability reaching 60 percent.He said an international specialized medical center was consulted and its assessment aligned with the Saudi team’s evaluation regarding the complexity and risks of the surgery.The twins’ parents were fully briefed on the condition and the surgical plan, he added.This marks the 70th separation surgery under the Saudi Conjoined Twins Program, which since 1990 has cared for 157 sets of conjoined twins from 28 countries across five continents.