Mott Children's Hospital has successfully separated conjoined twins connected at the chest and upper abdomen.
When Alyson Irwin got pregnant with her second child, she felt something different. Alyson and husband, Phil, did agree not to find out the gender and let it be a surprise. However, it somehow felt that it was going to be a "big boy." She told Detroit Free Press that not even in their previous prenatal visits did they get an inkling that she was carrying twins, let alone conjoined twins.
What they thought was a "big boy" turned out to be conjoined girls
It was not until February 2019, during her 20-week check-up, that they learned they are expecting conjoined twins. The doctors then referred them to a high-risk obstetrician. Ultrasound and an MRI would confirm that while their twins had their own separate arms, their chest and abdomen were fused.
According to the director of Michigan Medicine's Fetal Diagnosis and Treatment Center, Dr. Marcie Treadwell, that puts the twins in a dangerous situation because their hearts and other vital organs can be affected.
Heartbroken but still hopeful
The couple was heartbroken, but Phil was still hopeful. The odds of having conjoined twins are once in every 50,000 to 1 in 100,000 pregnancies, and 40 - 60% would be stillborn. She was in the 25th week of her pregnancy when echocardiogram images revealed that separating the girls might be possible after all - except for the liver; all their internal organs are separate. However, more evaluation and planning are needed because one might not breathe normally, even if the separation was successful.
Surgery had to be rescheduled due to the pandemic
And so, in June 2019, Sarabeth and Amelia Irwin were born. The twins would spend 85 days in Mott Children's Hospital's ICU. The girls were supposed to have their operations, but they got sick, and then the coronavirus pandemic followed afterward. However, it allowed the family to bond and watch the girls grow and get strong leading up to their rescheduled surgery, Phil told Today.
The medical team, on the other hand, was busy preparing for the big day. Dr. George Mychaliska said they had to innovate in terms of monitoring and capturing data. Their biggest challenge was reconstructing the twin's chest walls that would allow them to breathe on their own. Titanium plates would make that possible.
On August 5, 2020, the team went ahead with the surgery. The almost 11-hour successful surgery was the first of its kind at Mott Children's Hospital and also believed to be the first in Michigan. The twin would then spend one month at the hospital before going home last September.
The girls have since recovered and are now doing great. They are already showing their distinct personalities, particularly Sarabeth, who, Phil said, was the biggest surprise.
Dr. Mychaliska said that the girls' outlook is good, especially that they have committed and supportive parents. They are very innovative and optimistic, he added, which "made a big difference."
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