https://arab.news/ycrvu
- The twins were born in Yemen and flown to Amman in February this year to undergo surgery.
- The rare eight-hour operation took place on July 3 of the same year
AMMAN: A Jordanian hospital has successfully performed the country鈥檚 first operation to separate conjoined twins, seven-month-old babies from Yemen, the chief surgeon announced Sunday.
It was 鈥渁 rare and delicate鈥� procedure which is 鈥渁 medical success for the whole kingdom,鈥� said the doctor, Fawzi Al-Hammouri.
The nearly eight-hour operation which required 25 surgeons and technical advisers was performed in July.
But Amman鈥檚 Specialized Hospital delayed any announcement because 鈥渁fter the operation they (the babies) needed intensive care, artificial respiration and intravenous feeding for a long time,鈥� he said.
鈥淲e wanted to wait until we were sure 100 percent that things went smoothly.鈥�
Now the twins, Ahmed and Mohammed, are in 鈥渆xcellent health,鈥� Hammouri told AFP.
鈥淭he chances of their survival are very great. They have become like any normal child. The danger has disappeared,鈥� he said.
Members of a Jordanian medical team made the announcement during a press conference in Amman on Oct. 3, 2021. In the background, a screen shows the twins before their separation. (AFP)
A United Nations medical flight had brought the babies and their parents to Jordan in February.
Born in mid-December in Yemen鈥檚 rebel-held capital Sanaa, they were in critical condition.
鈥淲hen they arrived, they both weighed three kilograms and 700 grams (eight pounds). We waited until they weighed nine kilograms together鈥� before separating them, Hammouri said.
The babies are still in Jordan with their parents but expected to return home in two or three weeks, he added.
Seven years of war between the Houthi militia and pro-government forces have devastated health services in Yemen.
About 80 percent of the country鈥檚 30 million people, long the Arabian Peninsula鈥檚 poorest country, are dependent on aid.
In February 2019, conjoined twins died in Sanaa two weeks after their birth.
Conjoined twins develop when an early embryo only partially separates, to form two individuals who will remain physically connected, the Mayo Clinic says on its website.
Many conjoined twins are stillborn or die shortly after birth, but advances in surgery and technology have improved survival rates.