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New York City, NY (December 7, 2004) – Formerly conjoined Filipino twins Carl and Clarence Aguirre have returned to The Children’s Hospital at Montefiore (CHAM) for a series of medical tests in preparation for the next stage of their surgeries next week.
“The boys are here for routine tests and evaluations pre-surgery,” said Robert Marion, MD, their pediatrician at CHAM. “As well, this is a chance for us to remove the feeding tubes they’ve been using for the past year and work with our pediatric nutritionists, GI experts and Arlene to increase their solid food intake,” he said. “This is very important to their continuing progress and development.”
Carl, always the bigger of the two boys, continues to stay ahead of brother Clarence in the weight department. “Carl is a size three toddler and Clarence is a two T,” said the boys’ mother, Arlene. “They’re getting so big,” she said, settling the boys into their usual room at CHAM.
The boys and Arlene arrived at CHAM at about 2 o'clock this afternoon. Carl took an afternoon nap while Clarence stayed awake and ate purple-colored Gold Fish crackers. “Purple is the color of the costume their favorite TV character, Jeff of the Wiggles, wears,” Arlene said. “Carl also likes the purple fish and sometimes they have a competition over who’s going to eat the most purple fish.”
Next Wednesday, the same surgical team that separated the brothers in an historic operation at CHAM this past August, led by Chief of Pediatric Plastic Surgery David Staffenberg, MD, and Director of Pediatric Neurosurgery, James Goodrich, MD, will begin a series of surgeries to add skin grafts to cover the remainder of the boys’ skulls before beginning reconstructive surgery on their skulls.
“Wednesday’s procedure will only deal with skin grafts,” Dr. Staffenberg said. “It is after the skin grafts have healed that our more difficult reconstructive challenges will begin.”
A medical briefing discussing the boys’ conditions, progress in therapy and outlining the roadmap for future procedures will be held at the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore on Tuesday, December 14, at 10:30AM. Participants will include: James T. Goodrich, David A. Staffenberg and Joelle Mast, MD, medical director at Blythedale.
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