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NEW YORK CITY, NY (November 26) 8:00 PM UPDATE -- After a day spent napping, fussing, eating and playing with the team of doctors and nurses caring for them at The Children's Hospital at Montefiore (CHAM), Carl and Clarence Aguirre are doing beautifully, according to David Staffenberg, MD, chief, Pediatric Plastic Surgery, CHAM. "The boys look great," Dr. Staffenberg said. "I changed their dressings for the first time since surgery and everything looks great."
Dr. Staffenberg is co-leader of the CHAM surgical team that operated on Carl and Clarence for five and one-half hours on Monday, in what was the second in a series of complex surgeries designed to gradually separate the boys, born joined at the tops of their heads.
During the surgery, James T. Goodrich, MD, director, Pediatric Neurosurgery, CHAM, began the delicate process of tying off major veins that were shared by Carl and Clarence, and also gently pushed apart the boys' brains, which were touching but not unified.
Dr. Staffenberg inserted an inflatable tissue expander under Carl's skin, and will begin in a few weeks to gradually fill the expander with saline to stretch the existing skin. This will increase the available surface area of the skin in preparation for the final separation surgery, when it will be needed to cover the newly exposed tops of the boys' heads.
Dr. Staffenberg has visited Carl, Clarence and their mother, Arlene Aguirre, every day since their arrival in New York on September 10 from their home in the Philippines. He checks in on them even when they are at a special rehabilitation hospital in Valhalla, NY, where the boys receive physical and nutrition therapy between surgeries.
Carl and Clarence happily recognize Dr. Staffenberg as a result of these daily "crib calls." Today, Dr. Staffenberg said he knew the boys were feeling better when he noticed that "Clarence has gone back to sticking his tongue out at me!" Carl was once again calling, "Mama, Mama!" for his mother, Arlene, who spent most of the day in the twins' room, trying to nap when they napped.
Carl has begun to speak his first one or two words in the last few weeks.
The boys are expected to continue their post-surgical care at CHAM over the next few days, after which they will return to Blythedale Children's Hospital for continuing therapy. Depending on how well the boys progress, the next surgical procedure may take place in late January 2004.
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