Two years after undergoing a groundbreaking separation surgery in Saudi Arabia, Kano-born conjoined twins, Hassana and Hussaina, returned home on Friday.
The complex operation, performed at King Abdullah Specialist Children’s Hospital in Riyadh, lasted about 14 hours and was executed in nine carefully coordinated stages by a team of 19 surgeons.
Khalil Ahmed Al-Admawi, Saudi Arabia’s Consul General in Kano, described the procedure as one of the most demanding but rewarding successes of the Kingdom’s twin-separation program. He revealed that a team of 38 specialists—including pediatric surgeons, neurosurgeons, orthopaedic doctors, urologists, anesthetists, and plastic surgeons—collaborated on the life-saving surgery.
The twins, who were flown to Riyadh in October 2023, were joined at the lower abdomen, pelvis, and spine—sharing vital structures that made their case especially difficult. They underwent months of medical evaluations before doctors proceeded with the surgery, conducted under the directive of King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Welcoming them back, Kano State Governor Abba Yusuf pledged scholarships, continued healthcare, and sponsorship for future medical check-ups in Saudi Arabia.
