 |
New York City, NY (September 16, 2004) - As they continue with physical and speech therapy now six weeks after the historic surgery that separated them at The Children's Hospital at Montefiore (CHAM), Carl and Clarence Aguirre are "doing brilliantly," according to Robert Marion, MD, the boys' pediatrician at CHAM since their arrival in the US one year ago.
Carl and Clarence are the first craniopagus twins in history to survive being surgically separated with no evidence of neurological damage or deficit. The boys were separated in an historic series of four surgeries over the course of a year's time at CHAM.
The staged procedure: gave physicians time to plan each phase of the separation using highly detailed neuro-imaging; subjected the boys to less time under anesthesia (even undergoing four surgeries); resulted in far less blood loss; and gave the boys the time they needed between surgeries to grow physicially stronger and adapt to the significant physical changes that resulted from each stage of the separation.
Doctors and nurses caring for the boys at CHAM have called their progress a true "medical miracle."
"They really are more and more sensational every day," said Dr. Marion. "I spent about an hour with them today, watching them at a physical therapy session and at school." The boys and their mother, Arlene Aguirre, are back at Blythedale for rehab until their next series of reconstructive and plastic surgeries begin at CHAM in the next few months.
"They are smiling, laughing, playing with their therapists...it's just amazing," said Dr. Marion. "Carl was playing with a toy barbecue grill and serving play hot dogs and hamburgers to his therapist. He just loved the interaction."
"Clarence was playing with toy cars on a track, and in order to make the cars go down the track, he needed to push a button," said Dr. Marion. "He figured this out pretty quickly, and did it again and again, smiling each time he was successful."
"The main challenge for the boys continues to be their lack of neck strength, due to the fact that they have been conjoined and on their backs for the past two years," said Dr. Marion. "They have come a long way in their recent weeks of therapy. Both brothers now have much better trunk control, and when their heads are supported they can even straighten themselves up."
"Carl can definitely sit with just this extra support, and Clarence will get there soon -- he is still the smaller and thinner of the two, and his muscle strength isn't as good as Carl's," Dr. Marion said. "Both boys are clearly interested in getting themselves upright, either in a sitting or standing position, and they love looking at people's faces."
"I've been watching them for over a year now, and I have to say, in the past couple of weeks, they have truly blossomed," Dr. Marion said. "This is especially true of Carl. Clarence's mischevious personality was apparent even before the surgery, and he has remained the little prankster that he always was."
"Carl now is a whole different person," said Dr. Marion. "His smile can light up a room. He has become outgoing and friendly and funny. It's really amazing."
"We are seeing them develop into two separate people, who, although not capable of doing so yet, will without doubt become independent children in the near future," said Dr. Marion.
Dr. James T. Goodrich and Dr. David A. Staffenberg, co-leaders of the boys' surgical team at CHAM, have not yet set a date for the boys' next procedures. Carl and Clarence are expected to undergo a series of surgeries to reconstruct their skulls, and to do minor cosmetic surgeries as required.
For the News Media
Contact our public relations staff.
Our Public Relations team is informed, connected and responsive. We are at your service, on call 24/7, and we will work hard to help you in any way we can – whether by tracking down sources for your stories or arranging video shoots, or getting an expert to help you in your background research.
Call us at 718.920.4011, or click here to view our Office of Public Relations contacts.
Director, Division of Pediatric Neurosurgery,
CHAM
We're known around the world for successfully separating Carl and Clarence Aguirre, born joined at the tops of their heads. Our specialists care daily for children with brain tumors, spinal cord injuries and craniofacial deformities.
