Surgical separation of Tanzanian conjoined twins Nancy and Nice begins in Riyadh

RIYADH — Medical and surgical teams of the Saudi Conjoined Twins Program (SCTP) have begun on Thursday the complex procedure of the surgical separation of 18-month-old Tanzanian twin girls—Nancy and Nice. The surgery is taking place at King Abdullah Specialized Children’s Hospital (KASCH) under King Abdulaziz Medical City of the Ministry of National Guard in Riyadh.This is in implementation of the directives of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman and Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman.Advisor to the Royal Court, Supervisor General of King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSrelief) and head of the surgical team Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah said that the separation procedure is scheduled to be performed in 10 stages and will take approximately 16 hours. A team of 35 consultants, specialists, and nursing and technical staff from the fields of anesthesia, pediatric surgery, plastic surgery, pediatric urology, pediatric orthopedics, and other supporting specialties are participating. Dr. Al-Rabeeah clarified that while this procedure is delicate, it has a success rate of more than 60 percent. Nancy and Nice arrived in the Kingdom on January 27, 2026. Following the twins’ admission to KASCH, the medical team conducted comprehensive and detailed examinations of the girls, who are conjoined at the lower chest, abdominal, and pelvic areas. Each girl has one leg, and they share a third, deformed lower limb. Dr. Al-Rabeeah explained that the medical team conducted a thorough series of examinations and clinical consultations to discuss details about the girls’ case; the twins share one liver, large intestine, anus, urinary and reproductive systems, and also share an external genitalia malformation. Dr. Al-Rabeeah stated that Nancy and Nice are the third pair of conjoined twins from Tanzania to be separated by the SCTP since the program began in 1990, and the 71st separation to date. He added that a total of 157 cases from 28 countries across five continents have been reviewed by the team so far. On behalf of himself and his colleagues, Dr. Al-Rabeeah expressed his thanks, appreciation, and gratitude to the Saudi leadership for their ongoing support and follow-up of the program. He also wished for a successful separation and for a happy and healthy future for the twins.