Surgeons at the American University of Beirut Medical Center (AUBMC) have successfully separated conjoined twins, the state-run National News Agency reported on Tuesday.
Caretaker Health Minister Firass Abiad said in a press conference that the operation was the first of its kind ever conducted in Lebanon. The twin girls’ parents contacted him six months ago after learning that they were expecting conjoined twins, and asked the minister for help, Abiad told reporters. He turned to AUBMC, which agreed to perform the complex and risky operation to separate the girls, despite the shortage of medical resources and staff that this and all hospitals are suffering due to Lebanon’s economic crisis. A team of doctors and nurses specializing in neurosurgery, pediatric surgery, and plastic surgery prepared for four months before attempting the procedure. The operation took 10 hours. “The health system in Lebanon, even if it faces great difficulties, is a flexible system and has the ability to present achievements,” the minister said.