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>> that he was able to separate conjoined twins in a then-unprecedented procedure... Didn’t the twins like. Die? This is always brought up. Ben Carson separat

by s5300 3y ago

>> that he was able to separate conjoined twins in a then-unprecedented procedure... Didn’t the twins like. Die? This is always brought up. Ben Carson separating twins. But like. They died. Multiple sets of conjoined people he operated on died I think. Why do people always bring this up without mentioning that the twins died To the best of my knowledge Ben Carson is and always has been a giant self aggrandizing douche who definitely has and had equals in his field

maxbond 3y ago
According to Wikipedia[1], one of them did survive (but was "profoundly disabled" and "never learned to speak or feed himself") but yeesh, it doesn't seem like a huge success, and their mother regrets electing for the surgery - which makes it seem like the doctors believed they would have survived and lived a reasonably normal life (under the circumstances) without the surgery. If that's the case, then it seems like a total ethical violation to even offer the surgery. But maybe that isn't so and it's her trauma talking there, I don't really know. Carson's Wikipedia article [2] mentions several other sets of twins, one operation resulting in a "normal neurological state," 2 resulting in the death of both twins, and another resulting in one dying and the other being "legally blind and [struggling] to walk." I don't know what to make of all that, but you're right, that is more murky than the narrative I've heard previously. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patrick_and_Benjamin_Binder https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patrick_and_Benjamin_Binder [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben_Carson https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben_Carson
spondylosaurus 3y ago
I know with the Iranian twins who died (adult conjoined sisters), they were advised that it was a super risky procedure but wanted to go through with it anyway. Some of the other twins he's operated on had mixed results (i.e., one twin thrived but the other didn't, or both only lived a few years after being separated), but I think at least a few pairs have done pretty well. My understanding is that separating craniopagus twins has a pretty high risk of complication/failure, even when you know what you're doing. I also know for a fact that Carson's pioneered hemispherectomy as treatment for severe childhood seizures, and some of those kids are now happy and healthy adults: https://www.cbsnews.com/baltimore/news/jessie-hall-medical-miracle-half-brain-removed-johns-hopkins/ https://www.cbsnews.com/baltimore/news/jessie-hall-medical-m... Don't get me wrong, I don't like the guy as a politician. But he knows his way around a brain.

by s5300 3y ago

maxbond 3y ago

According to Wikipedia[1], one of them did survive (but was "profoundly disabled" and "never learned to speak or feed himself") but yeesh, it doesn't seem like a huge success, and their mother regrets electing for the surgery - which makes it seem like the doctors believed they would have survived and lived a reasonably normal life (under the circumstances) without the surgery. If that's the case, then it seems like a total ethical violation to even offer the surgery. But maybe that isn't so and it's her trauma talking there, I don't really know. Carson's Wikipedia article [2] mentions several other sets of twins, one operation resulting in a "normal neurological state," 2 resulting in the death of both twins, and another resulting in one dying and the other being "legally blind and [struggling] to walk." I don't know what to make of all that, but you're right, that is more murky than the narrative I've heard previously. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patrick_and_Benjamin_Binder https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patrick_and_Benjamin_Binder [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben_Carson https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben_Carson

spondylosaurus 3y ago

I know with the Iranian twins who died (adult conjoined sisters), they were advised that it was a super risky procedure but wanted to go through with it anyway. Some of the other twins he's operated on had mixed results (i.e., one twin thrived but the other didn't, or both only lived a few years after being separated), but I think at least a few pairs have done pretty well. My understanding is that separating craniopagus twins has a pretty high risk of complication/failure, even when you know what you're doing. I also know for a fact that Carson's pioneered hemispherectomy as treatment for severe childhood seizures, and some of those kids are now happy and healthy adults: https://www.cbsnews.com/baltimore/news/jessie-hall-medical-miracle-half-brain-removed-johns-hopkins/ https://www.cbsnews.com/baltimore/news/jessie-hall-medical-m... Don't get me wrong, I don't like the guy as a politician. But he knows his way around a brain.