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Syrian sisters Tuqa and Yakeen had been conjoined since birth, sharing a skull but not a brain

Little Tuqa and Yakeen Al Khadar were literally inseparable since their birth four years ago in war-torn Syria. The girls were conjoined at their skull but have two independent brains, that allowed doctors to perform a life-changing operation.

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Dr Ahmad Al-Furrayan, who was in charge of the operation, said it took 10 hours instead of the 12 hours
that had been planned and was carried out in stages

The babies’ story came to light three years ago after their father Hussein Al Khadr appealed for King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia to help with expensive treatment. And the Saudi government responded to the request, sponsoring the girls’ separation surgery as a humanitarian gesture.

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The girls’ plight first came to light in 2013 when their father appealed for King Abdullah of
Saudi Arabia to help with treatment.

They were transported to the Specialist Children’s Hospital in the Saudi Arabian capital Riyadh, where undergone prepatory surgeries before the final one this weekend. It took 10 hours and 22 highly-professional doctors and nurses to separate the four-year-olds.

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This weekend, they were separated at the Specialist Children’s Hospital in the
Saudi Arabian capital Riyadh

Dr Ahmad Al-Furrayan, head of the medical team, said: “The twins were conjoined at the head and that meant this was one of the most complicated and difficult Siamese cases.” He believes the results of the operation would be successful and the girls would be able to start their own lives.

Twins conjoined at the skull or otherwise sraniopagus are extremely rare phenomenon that occurs only once in every 2,5 million births.  Approximately 40% of such twins are stillborn and an additional 33% die within the immediate perinatal period, usually from organ abnormalities and failure.

Source: Mail Online UK


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