MANILA – Filipino conjoined twins Olivia and Gianna Manuel were successfully separated after a six-hour multistage surgery by Saudi Arabian surgeons in Riyadh, the Saudi Arabia Embassy in Manila said on Friday.
Successful Operation
The operation was carried out in six phases involving 22 specialized medical staff at the King Abdullah Specialist Children's Hospital (KASCH) in Riyadh on June 18 under the Saudi Conjoined Twins Programme (SCTP).
The embassy said the twins are in “stable condition” following the procedure and are being closely monitored at KASCH’s Pediatric Intensive Care Unit.
It added that all costs related to the separation and aftercare were covered entirely by the Saudi government.
Mother's Gratitude
"I am so deeply grateful that we found a way to reach out to Saudi Arabia, to have them bring our conjoined twins here to be operated on," Ginalyn Manuel, the twins’ mother, said.
"Finally, this is the day we have been waiting for — the day they will have normal lives and live as two separate individuals," she added.
Background
The twins, born on April 8, 2024 in Talavera, Nueva Ecija, were previously connected from the chest to the abdomen in a rare condition known as “thoraco-omphalopagus” conjoining.
They arrived in Riyadh in January, under directives from the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz, and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Since their arrival, Olivia and Giana have undergone extensive preparations leading up to the surgery, the embassy said.
Surgical Team
Renowned pediatric surgeon Abdullah Al Rabeeah, head of the SCTP and Supervisor General of King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSrelief), led the 22-member surgical team comprised of anesthesiologists, pediatric and plastic surgeons and other specialized staff.
SCTP was established in 1990 and has now successfully performed over 70 separation surgeries on twins from more than two dozen countries.
Olivia and Giana are the fourth set of Filipino conjoined twins to be separated under the program.
Last April 24, Saudi Arabia successfully separated Filipino twins Klea Ann and Maurice Ann Misa after a "complex" 13-hour surgery.
