Conjoined Twins Surgery: Riyadh Doctors Begin Risky 24-Hour Surgery to Separate Filipino Twins

A super complex surgery to separate Filipino conjoined twins has started at the King Abdullah Specialist Children's Hospital in Riyadh. Doctors say there's a 50% risk because the girls are joined at the head and share veins in their brains.

Riyadh: One of the world's most complicated surgeries to separate conjoined twins has kicked off in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. A team of doctors at the King Abdullah Specialist Children's Hospital began the massive task of separating Filipino twins, Clea and Morris Anne, this morning.

This high-stakes operation is happening on the special instructions of Saudi Arabia's ruler, King Salman, and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. A top medical team, led by the famous surgeon Dr. Abdullah Al Rabeeah, who is also the General Supervisor of KS Relief, is performing the surgery.

About surgery

The girls were brought to Saudi Arabia on May 17, 2025, and have been under observation for months. The medical world is watching this case very closely because of its extreme complexity. The twins are joined at the head; their brain tissues are intertwined, and they share major brain veins. This makes the surgery incredibly risky. To make things even more challenging, one of the twins, Clea, also has heart and kidney problems.

A team of about 30 consultants and nursing staff, headed by pediatric neurosurgery expert Dr. Mu'tasim Al Zu'abi, is part of this mission. The surgery is planned in five stages and is expected to take around 24 hours to complete. The medical team has been upfront about the dangers, stating there is a 50% risk of failure. Even if the surgery is successful, they have warned there is a 60% chance of physical disabilities for the twins.