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New York City, New York (August 7, 2004) – Filipino twins Carl and Clarence Aguirre are resting comfortably in their separate beds at The Children’s Hospital at Montefiore (CHAM) today, three days after successful surgery to separate them.
“The boys are continuing their habit of rapid recovery from surgeries at CHAM,” said David Staffenberg, MD, chief of pediatric plastic surgery at CHAM and one of the two lead surgeons on their medical team. “They are coming back with the speed of a sling shot,” he said as he watched over them at their bedsides. Wednesday's surgery was the fourth in a series of staged procedures designed to separate the twins in a manner that would lead to the most positive outcomes for both brothers.
“This is the first time in medical history that one or both patients undergoing separation surgery have not had to be returned to the operating room for additional procedures within the first 36 hours after separation,” Dr. Staffenberg said. “There is no sign of anything with either Carl or Clarence that makes us unhappy,” he said.
Dr. Staffenberg today removed Carl’s bandages for the first time since surgery, revealing the newly skin-covered top of Carls' head that previously had been joined to that of his brother, Clarence.
When the bandages were first removed, a beaming Arlene Aguirre said, "Oh, he is so handsome!"
Dr. Staffenberg and lead neurosurgeon James Goodrich, MD, director of pediatric neurosurgery at CHAM, both spent time at the boys' bedsides today observing their recoveries. "We are completely stunned with their activity levels," said Dr. Goodrich. "Carl has resumed his by now famous 'wiggle dance' when his sedative begins to wear off, and Clarence is once again grabbing for his various monitors and tubes, trying to pull them out."
When Arlene or the doctors are standing by Clarence’s bed, they have noticed that Carl tries to look over to see what's going on, perhaps wondering who it is in that other bed. Doctors say it will be something to see when the boys are no longer under sedation and they rediscover each other as playmates and brothers.
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