The Kano-born conjoined twins, Hassana and Hussaina, returned home on Friday, two years after undergoing a successful separation surgery sponsored by the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The highly delicate surgery, conducted by 19 surgeons, was carried out in nine stages over approximately 14 hours. Each stage required precise coordination to safely separate the twins and reconstruct their individual systems.
Receiving the twins alongside Kano State Governor Abba Yusuf, the Consul General of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in Kano, Khalil Ahmed Al-Admawi, described the surgery as one of the most challenging yet rewarding achievements of the Saudi program for separating conjoined twins.
He explained that after careful planning, a multi-disciplinary team of 38 consultants and specialists including experts in pediatric surgery, neurosurgery, orthopaedics, urology, anaesthesia, and plastic surgery embarked on the delicate procedure.
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“The life-saving operation was carried out at the King Abdullah Specialist Children’s Hospital in King Abdulaziz Medical City, Riyadh, under the directives of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, and His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister,” Al-Admawi stated.
Hassana and Hussaina were flown to Riyadh in October 2023, where they underwent months of thorough medical examinations before the surgery. Doctors discovered that they were joined at the lower abdomen, pelvis, and spine, sharing vital structures that made the case particularly complex.
Governor Abba Yusuf, who welcomed the twins, pledged to provide them with full scholarships, access to healthcare, and sponsorship for follow-up medical check-ups in Saudi Arabia next year.
