Two-year-old conjoined twins Olivia and Gianna Manuel have been successfully separated after undergoing a complex six-hour surgery in Saudi Arabia on June 18.
The sisters, who were born in the Philippines, connected at the chest and abdomen, had spent months preparing for the life-changing procedure.
Doctors performed the operation at King Abdullah Specialist Children’s Hospital in Riyadh, where a team of 22 specialists worked through six surgical stages to separate the girls.
Olivia and Gianna were born sharing parts of their chest and abdomen
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Olivia and Gianna were born on April 8, 2024, in Talavera, Nueva Ecija, in the Philippines.
The sisters had a rare condition known as thoraco-omphalopagus conjoining, meaning they were connected from the chest to the abdomen.
According to doctors, the twins shared heart membranes and part of their liver.
They arrived in Riyadh in January after Saudi Arabia agreed to provide treatment through the Saudi Conjoined Twins Programme (SCTP).
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After months of medical evaluations and preparation, surgeons carried out the separation procedure on Thursday.
Dr. Ali Al-Shahri explained the complexity of the case.
“Gianna and Olivia were conjoined at the chest and abdomen. They shared heart membranes and the liver,” he said.
“The operation was conducted smoothly, and they have now been transferred to intensive care.”
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The surgery involved 22 specialized medical professionals, including pediatric surgeons, plastic surgeons, anesthesiologists, and other specialists.
Doctors later confirmed that both girls were in stable condition.
“In cases like theirs, they usually recover for three to five days and leave intensive care afterward,” Al-Shahri said.
Olivia and Gianna’s separation operation marked the beginning of a new chapter for the family
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Their mother, Ginalyn Manuel, became emotional while speaking about the outcome.
“Finally, this is the day we have been waiting for — the day they will have normal lives and live as two separate individuals,” she said.
She also thanked Saudi Arabia for helping make the operation possible.
“I am so deeply grateful that we found a way to reach out to Saudi Arabia, to have them bring our conjoined twins here to be operated on,” she said.
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According to reports, the Saudi government covered all costs associated with the surgery and the twins’ aftercare.
The SCTP has been operating since 1990 and has successfully separated more than 70 sets of conjoined twins from over two dozen countries.
Olivia and Gianna became the fourth pair of Filipino conjoined twins to be separated through the program.
Besides Olivia and Gianna, another recent separation gave two sisters a new future
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In 2024, twins Mercy and Goodness from Nigeria were successfully separated after being born joined at the head.
The girls were born with fused skulls, interconnected brain tissue, and shared blood vessels.
Their surgery took place in the United Arab Emirates when they were 19 months old and involved specialists from more than 20 countries.
Professor Noor ul Owase Jeelani described the operation as a landmark achievement.
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“The separation of Goodness and Mercy is a landmark case planned and executed with a precision not encountered before,” he said.
“We are able to give these girls and their families a new future, where they can enjoy their childhood as intact but separated twins.”
Both children later made full recoveries and returned home to Nigeria.
While some conjoined twins underwent separation surgery, others chose to remain together and build successful lives
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The most famous example, as reported by Bored Panda, is Abby and Brittany Hensel.
The sisters, born in Minnesota in 1990, share one body but have separate heads and distinct personalities.
They first gained national attention through television appearances and later became teachers.
In recent months, Abby and Brittany made headlines again after photos surfaced showing them carrying a baby.
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The sisters did not directly address speculation surrounding the child but shared a TikTok video captioned “Blessed.”
Despite spending much of their lives in the public eye, Abby and Brittany have consistently emphasized their desire for privacy.
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“We never wish we were separated,” they said in a 2007 documentary, Extraordinary People: The Twins Who Share a Body, per E! Online.
“Because then we wouldn’t get to do the things we can do: play softball, meet new people, run.”
“Medicine is a blessing to humanity,” wrote one user
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