Fijian conjoined twins successfully separated in 13-hour surgery
Fijian sisters Dicecea and Jesepeli were born joined at the pelvis and successfully separated after nearly 13 hours of complex surgery.
Doctors in Saudi Arabia successfully separated 13-month-old conjoined twins from Fiji. Sisters Dicecea and Jesepeli Kikau were born joined at the lower abdomen and pelvis.
The rare condition is called omphalo-ischiopagus tetrapus. The surgery took almost 13 hours and nine phases.
Surgeons separated their shared liver and bowel, then their urinary tract and anal canal. Each girl had her own heart and lungs, which helped surgeons plan the separation.
The hospital, King Abdullah Specialist Children's Hospital in Riyadh, performed the procedure for free. The hospital has now separated 74 sets of conjoined twins from 29 countries.
Their mother watched via video link as the surgery unfolded.
- Almost 13 hours
- Surgery duration
- 74 sets from 29 countries
- Separated twins from hospital
- 13 months old
- Age at surgery
- Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- Hospital location
Why it mattersThese surgeries are exceptionally rare with enormous stakes for the children involved. This success demonstrates what's possible when surgical expertise and resources align.
AustraliaAustralian hospitals quoted large upfront payments for the surgery; this family found free treatment in Saudi Arabia instead, showing the cost gap for rare paediatric cases.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 2 h ago
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