Muscat - The Sultanate of Oman has successfully conducted the first separation operation for Omphaloischiopagus conjoined or Siamese twins, one of the rarest types of conjoined twins that share the pelvic region with a connection in the intestines, urinary system, and blood vessels.
The operation lasted 19 hours, and the Omani twins are undergoing intensive medical care after the operation, amid continuous improvement in their health condition.
The operation was performed under the direct supervision of Dr. Hilal bin Ali Al Sabti, Minister of Health, and the medical team included an elite group of surgeons and medical groups from the Royal Hospital, Khoula Hospital, the Medical City Hospital for Military and Security Services, and Nizwa Hospital.
The operation required integrated medical efforts with the participation of Omani groups that specialized in various surgical and supportive medical fields, which reflects the development of health services in the Sultanate of Oman. It went through precise stages, starting with a comprehensive assessment and surgical preparation in several stages, followed by the separation and tissue reconstruction operation, and finally, the post-surgery stage and intensive medical care to ensure the recovery and health stability of the twins.
Dr. Mohammed Jaafar al Sajwani, Senior Consultant Pediatric Surgeon at the Royal Hospital and Head of the Medical Team for the Siamese Twin Separation Operation, said that conjoined twins are very rare cases, and unfortunately, many children do not survive either before, during, or after birth due to congenital deformities.
There are several cases of conjoined twins, but conjoined twins in the pelvic area are very rare, especially in girls, which increases their complexity due to the presence of many devices in this complex area.
He added, "We were following up on the case during pregnancy and contacted the obstetricians, and we decided to perform the operation and treat them in the Sultanate of Oman. The birth went smoothly, and the twins were transferred to the intensive care unit for premature babies. He pointed out that there were some challenges that we were able to overcome during the 11 months of preparations, meetings, and x-rays to determine the location of the adhesion and the devices shared between the twins".
Dr. Nawal bint Abdullah al Sharji, a consultant pediatric urologist, said that in the case of conjoined twins at the pelvis, there are adhesions in the urinary tract and ureters, and these are among the most prominent challenges we faced during the surgery. She stressed that the presence of a distinguished team of radiologists helped in detecting them, and we were able to deal with them and plan for them 11 months ago.
The incidence of conjoined twins worldwide is estimated at one case per 200,000 to 1,000,000 births, while the omphaloschiopagus type is one of the rarest recorded cases, which makes this Omani medical success an exceptional achievement.
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