Lily and Andy’s Adventure: Twins Parted, Hearts United
Separated Twins Addisoп (Addy) and Liliaппa (Lily) Altobelli: A Remarkable Journey
On October 13, 2021, a momentous event unfolded at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) as conjoined twins, Addisoп (Addy) and Liliaппa (Lily) Altobelli, were successfully separated by a team of skilled surgeons. These two little girls were born connected at the abdomen and chest, a rare condition known as thoraco-omphalopagυs twins, which meant they shared vital organs such as the liver, diaphragm, chest, and abdominal wall.
The journey of Addy and Lily began when their parents, Maggie and Dom Altobelli, received the shocking news during a prenatal ultrasound at 20 weeks. Until that point, they had believed they were expecting just one baby, but the ultrasound revealed a different reality—two fetuses sharing a connection at the abdomen.
Conjoined twins are exceptionally rare, occurring in only about 1 in 50,000 births. Recognizing the complexity of their case, the Altobellis were referred to CHOP, renowned for its expertise in separating conjoined twins. Since 1957, CHOP had successfully separated more than 28 pairs of conjoined twins, making it one of the leading institutions in the country for such surgeries.
Upon their arrival at CHOP, specialists at the Richard D. Wood Jr. Center for Fetal Diagnosis and Treatment assessed the twins’ condition. While they shared a chest and abdominal wall, diaphragm, and liver, the twins had separate, healthy hearts. Moreover, their shared liver was large enough to be divided, making them excellent candidates for separation surgery.
After meticulous planning for a high-risk delivery led by Dr. Julie S. Moldenhaver, Addy and Lily were born on November 18, 2020, in CHOP’s Garbose Family Special Delivery Unit. They spent four months in the Newborn/Infant Intensive Care Unit (N/IICU), followed by six months in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU). Plastic surgeon Dr. David W. low inserted skin expanders to gradually stretch the twins’ skin in preparation for the separation surgery. These expanders functioned like small, collapsible balloons, stretching the skin over time so that each girl would have enough skin to cover her exposed chest wall and abdomen post-separation.
Finally, on October 13, 2021, after months of preparation, Addy and Lily underwent a 10-hour surgery and were successfully separated at 2:38 p.m. The surgical team, led by Dr. Holly Hedrick, included more than two dozen specialists, such as general surgeons, anesthesiologists, radiologists, a cardiothoracic surgeon, and plastic surgeons. Once separated, the surgical team reconstructed each girl’s chest and abdominal wall. Dr. Stephaпie Fυller, a cardiothoracic surgeon, ensured that both girls’ hearts were in the right position and functioning well, while plastic surgeons placed two layers of mesh (one temporary and one permanent) over the twins’ abdominal and chest walls before covering them with the stretched skin.
On December 1, 2021, the Altobellis finally returned home to Chicago, one twin at a time, each with one parent, after spending over a year in Philadelphia. The twins spent two weeks at Lυrie Children’s Hospital under the care of a medical team that would support them closer to home. Just in time for Christmas, they were discharged and returned home to find their yard decorated by their thoughtful neighbors. The holiday season was a joyous one, as the family of four celebrated together in their own home.
The separation of Addy and Lily Altobelli at CHOP was a testament to the incredible dedication and expertise of the medical professionals who made this miracle possible. It marked the beginning of a new chapter in the lives of these remarkable twins and their loving family.
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