Paediatric surgery
Conjoined twins surgery – expert care in Abuja & Nigeria
Dr Samson Olori has led multidisciplinary teams in complex conjoined twins separation surgery at the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital (UATH), including the hospital's first successful separation—the Buzugbe conjoined twins—on 29 October 2018.
BBC News
Conjoined twins surgery
Dr Samson Olori speaks to BBC News about his role in conjoined twins surgery—expert care in the spotlight.
First conjoined twins separation at UATH
The University of Abuja Teaching Hospital successfully carried out the separation of conjoined twins on Monday, 29 October 2018—the first such medical feat in the history of the hospital. The twins were delivered at a private hospital in Gwagwalada and referred to UATH for specialist care on 11 June 2018. The separation surgery was led by Dr Samson Olori, Consultant Paediatric Surgeon, with a 30-person team in theatre. The hospital absorbed the cost of the surgery as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility.
The Federal Government commended UATH on the separation. The then Minister of Health, Professor Isaac Adewole, visited the babies in the Special Care Baby Unit and praised the teamwork and good management that achieved success even in the face of challenging circumstances. The Chief Medical Director, Professor Bissallah Ekele, thanked the Minister and assured him of the hospital's expansion plans. The surgery was the second conjoined twins separation in the country that year, with the first at the Federal Medical Centre in Yola.
Dr Olori has said that the success was largely due to teamwork and management support: “I thank the Management for believing in my competence and the team for this success story.” Conjoined twins separation remains one of the most complex operations in paediatric surgery; at UATH, Dr Olori and the team continue to offer expert evaluation and surgical care for families facing this rare condition in Abuja and across Nigeria.
How the separation was achieved
Dr Samson Olori, as team leader, has described the steps that made the success possible. The first hurdle was counselling the parents to accept the conjoined babies. The team then ensured the twins were well-fed and optimised for surgery, with detailed clinical investigations to understand the extent of the joining. Anticipated problems were addressed with meticulous planning. A team of doctors and nurses was assembled and divided into Red and Blue Teams; mock sessions were conducted for precision and timing, and hospital management provided support by acquiring needed equipment.
The surgery took place on Monday, 29 October 2018, lasted four hours, and the separated babies were discharged after five weeks of post-surgery management in the Special Care Baby Unit. The success was attributed to teamwork across all hospital departments.
Media coverage
Dr Olori has spoken to international media, including BBC News, about his role in conjoined twins surgery and paediatric surgical care in Nigeria. Watch the video above.
Get in touch
Discuss conjoined twins or complex paediatric surgery
If your child has been diagnosed with conjoined twins or another complex condition requiring paediatric surgical expertise, you can reach Dr Olori for a confidential discussion about care options in Abuja and Nigeria.