Conjoined twins surgery · Abuja

How Dr Samson Olori led the first conjoined twins separation in Abuja

In 2018, Dr Samson Olori led the multidisciplinary team at University of Abuja Teaching Hospital (UATH) in the first ever successful separation of conjoined twins in Abuja. The procedure was a historic first for the hospital and marked a major milestone for paediatric surgery in the capital.

The surgery involved months of careful planning, specialist input from paediatric surgery, anaesthesia, nursing and allied teams, and a 30-person team in theatre. Dr Olori, as lead surgeon, coordinated the complex operation that has since positioned UATH and Abuja as a centre for expert conjoined twins care in Nigeria.

The story was covered by BBC News and documented in the official UATH hospital bulletin. Families seeking evaluation or care for conjoined twins in Abuja can contact Dr Olori for a confidential discussion.

In the news article “How We Successfully Separated Conjoined Twins,” Dr Olori shared that the twins were referred from Saint Mary's Catholic Hospital, Gwagwalada. The team divided into Red and Blue Teams for the theatre, held mock sessions for precision and timing, and the surgery lasted four hours. The babies were discharged after five weeks in the Special Care Baby Unit. Professor Bissallah Ekele, then Chief Medical Director of UATH, announced the news and the hospital absorbed the surgery bill as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility.