RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — A Saudi medical team has determined that Azora Elson, one of the previously conjoined Jamaican twins successfully separated through a groundbreaking surgical procedure last month, will require a heart transplant for long-term survival. The revelation comes as her sister Azaria demonstrates remarkable recovery progress.
Medical authorities at the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSrelief) provided this sobering update through the Saudi Press Agency. Dr. Abdullah Al Rabeeah, KSrelief Supervisor General, confirmed that Azora remains hospitalized in the pediatric intensive care unit while facing significant cardiac complications.
The medical team’s assessment reveals Azora’s heart functions at less than 20% of normal capacity due to congenital conditions including an enlarged heart and weakened cardiac muscle. Despite ongoing ventilation and medication to prevent heart failure and pulmonary edema, her prognosis remains concerning.
A multidisciplinary team comprising cardiac specialists and transplantation experts conducted extensive evaluations before reaching the transplant conclusion. However, significant challenges emerge due to Azora’s young age, minimal body weight, and the critical shortage of compatible donor organs matching her size parameters.
According to established Saudi transplantation protocols, these medical constraints currently render the necessary procedure impossible, substantially diminishing survival prospects. Medical authorities had previously discussed this potential outcome with the twins’ mother both before and after the separation surgery.
The historic separation operation occurred on November 13 through the Saudi Conjoined Twins Programme, involving 25 medical professionals across six surgical stages during a five-hour procedure. The twins had been connected at the lower chest, abdomen, and liver since birth.
Meanwhile, Azaria has been discharged from intensive care, displaying normal vital signs, feeding capabilities, and social interaction—marking a positive milestone in this medically complex case that has drawn international attention to Saudi Arabia’s advanced pediatric surgical capabilities.