The Pediatric Specialized Surgery Department at the Ibn Sina Hospital performed an emergency operation, the first of its kind in Kuwait, to separate prematurely born Siamese twins in the twenty-sixth week of pregnancy.
The Al-Qabas daily quoting hospital sources said each baby weighs approximately 800 grams, and both suffer from severe congenital anomalies, since they were attached in the abdominal region — small intestine, urinary bladder and umbilical cord.
After their separation, the children are undergoing treatment in intensive care unit. The sources said preparations for the operation were done in record time by the Radiology Department of the Ibn Sina Hospital to get vital information via abdominal ultrasound to obtain some information required before the operation, as it was not possible to do more diagnostic radiographs due to the critical condition of the twins.
At the same time, an integrated work team was established in which 18 doctors from different specialties contributed, in addition to the nursing staff of the Ibn Sina Hospital.
Those involved in the operation included Dr Ismail Taqi, the head of the unit, Dr. Ali Ashkanani, the first surgeon supervising the case and Dr. Ammar Al-Naki, and the team also included a pediatric urologist, Dr. Abdel Nasser Al-Saeed.
The Anesthesia Department played an active role, as two teams were formed to work side by side under the supervision of Dr. Hisham Al-Sheikh and Dr. Hadal Mohsen.