Saudi Team Separates Fijian Conjoined Twins After a 12-Hour, 45-Minute Surgery

A Saudi medical and surgical team has successfully separated Fijian conjoined twins in Riyadh, in an operation that took 12 hours and 45 minutes over nine stages (Saudi Gazette). It is the first time the Saudi Conjoined Twins Program has operated on twins from Fiji, and the 74th separation in the program’s history.

The operation at a glance

According to Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, who heads the medical and surgical team and is Supervisor General of the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) (Saudi Gazette):

• Where: King Abdullah Specialized Children’s Hospital at King Abdulaziz Medical City in Riyadh, part of the Ministry of National Guard Health Affairs.
• When: the surgery began on Thursday morning, 15 October 2026 (Saudi Gazette).
• How long: 12 hours and 45 minutes, in nine stages. Before the operation, the team had estimated about 15 hours.
• Team: 34 consultants, specialists, technicians and nurses from anaesthesia, paediatric surgery, plastic surgery, orthopaedic surgery, urology and support specialties.
• Milestone: the first Fijian twins treated by the program and its 74th separation operation.

Who the twins are

The twins were 13 months old when the surgery began, and they arrived in Saudi Arabia on 21 July 2026 (Saudi Gazette). After they were admitted, the team ran detailed examinations and found that the twins were joined at the abdomen and pelvis. They shared the liver, intestines, colon, anus, urinary system, reproductive system and pelvic bone.

That is why the team needed so many specialties in one theatre. Before the surgery, the program put the chance of success at about 70 percent, a figure Dr. Al-Rabeeah said came from multidisciplinary assessments and detailed diagnostic studies.

Saudi Gazette’s two reports spell the twins’ names differently: “Jasepeli and Desicia” after the operation, and “Jaspili and Disisia” before it. Until an official English spelling is confirmed, we have kept the names out of the headline.

A program with a 35-year track record

The Saudi Conjoined Twins Program has run for more than 35 years. Since 1990 it has assessed 159 cases from 28 countries across five continents (Saudi Gazette).

The Fijian operation came only days after the same team separated Moroccan twins Saja and Doha in the program’s 73rd operation. You can read that story in our report on the separation of Moroccan conjoined twins Saja and Doha.

Dr. Al-Rabeeah thanked King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for their support of the program, and thanked the medical team. The twins’ family also thanked the Kingdom’s leadership and praised the team’s care.

What this means for you

• It happened here, in a Saudi hospital. Every stage of this surgery, from the July admission to the operation itself, took place at a hospital in Riyadh with a Saudi team. For residents, it shows how much specialist medical skill is now based in the Kingdom.
• Two families in one week. Two separations in about a week, Morocco’s and then Fiji’s, show how active the program is right now.
• Share it with the right facts. If you share the story, the safest figures are the ones the team gave: 12 hours 45 minutes, nine stages, 34 staff, the 74th operation. Use the hospital’s name in full, and note that the twins’ English names have been spelled two ways.
• Your own family’s care. For everyday health needs in Saudi Arabia, most residents start with the Sehhaty app and the 937 line. Our guide to Sehhaty and the 937 health line explains how people usually use them.

FAQ

How long did the surgery to separate the Fijian conjoined twins take?

12 hours and 45 minutes, in nine stages, according to the head of the medical team.

Where was the operation done?

At King Abdullah Specialized Children’s Hospital, King Abdulaziz Medical City, in Riyadh. The hospital is part of the Ministry of National Guard Health Affairs.

Which operation number was this for the program?

The 74th separation operation in the history of the Saudi Conjoined Twins Program, and its first for twins from Fiji.

How many cases has the program looked at?

159 cases from 28 countries on five continents since 1990.