Dr. Ben Carson

It was a very interesting time in my life. I got very interested in conjoined twins just out of the blue. And I was saying, why is it that the, mortality rate is so high, why did they all die? And I concluded after much research that it was exsanguination or bleeding to death. And I said, you know, this is 1987. We should be able to keep people from bleeding to death. We must have some techniques.

It was a very interesting time in my life. I got very interested in conjoined twins just out of the blue. And I was saying, why is it that the, mortality rate is so high, why did they all die? And I concluded after much research that it was exsanguination or bleeding to death. And I said, you know, this is 1987. We should be able to keep people from bleeding to death. We must have some techniques.

It was a very interesting time in my life. I got very interested in conjoined twins just out of the blue. And I was saying, why is it that the, mortality rate is so high, why did they all die? And I concluded after much research that it was exsanguination or bleeding to death. And I said, you know, this is 1987. We should be able to keep people from bleeding to death. We must have some techniques.

And I started thinking about it. You know, I talked to the chief of cardiothoracic surgery, who was a friend, and I said, Bruce, what do you guys do? You operate on little babies' hearts. How do you keep them from bleeding to death? And he told me about hypothermic arrest. You cool the body temperature, you pump all the blood out, stop the hearts.

And I started thinking about it. You know, I talked to the chief of cardiothoracic surgery, who was a friend, and I said, Bruce, what do you guys do? You operate on little babies' hearts. How do you keep them from bleeding to death? And he told me about hypothermic arrest. You cool the body temperature, you pump all the blood out, stop the hearts.

And I started thinking about it. You know, I talked to the chief of cardiothoracic surgery, who was a friend, and I said, Bruce, what do you guys do? You operate on little babies' hearts. How do you keep them from bleeding to death? And he told me about hypothermic arrest. You cool the body temperature, you pump all the blood out, stop the hearts.

And you can operate for up to an hour before you have to restore the circulation without major damage to the brain. And I've started thinking, I said, what if when you got to the part of the separation where they all bleed to death, you put them on hypothermic arrest? And then you're able to get them separated and repair the vessels, pump the blood back in, start the heart up.

And you can operate for up to an hour before you have to restore the circulation without major damage to the brain. And I've started thinking, I said, what if when you got to the part of the separation where they all bleed to death, you put them on hypothermic arrest? And then you're able to get them separated and repair the vessels, pump the blood back in, start the heart up.

And you can operate for up to an hour before you have to restore the circulation without major damage to the brain. And I've started thinking, I said, what if when you got to the part of the separation where they all bleed to death, you put them on hypothermic arrest? And then you're able to get them separated and repair the vessels, pump the blood back in, start the heart up.

And then I said, why am I thinking about this? I'm never going to see a set of twins like that. A few weeks later, there they were. And you know, the question was being asked of various surgical teams in different places around the world. Do you have a solution? because the parents didn't want to take the European solution, which was to choose which one should live and to sacrifice the other one.

And then I said, why am I thinking about this? I'm never going to see a set of twins like that. A few weeks later, there they were. And you know, the question was being asked of various surgical teams in different places around the world. Do you have a solution? because the parents didn't want to take the European solution, which was to choose which one should live and to sacrifice the other one.

And then I said, why am I thinking about this? I'm never going to see a set of twins like that. A few weeks later, there they were. And you know, the question was being asked of various surgical teams in different places around the world. Do you have a solution? because the parents didn't want to take the European solution, which was to choose which one should live and to sacrifice the other one.

And I explained what I had been thinking. And everybody said, you know, that sounds like it might work. And we started. having some conferences on it, putting a team together. A few of us actually went over to Germany to examine the twins. And we came back and started doing practice sessions. where we would take two dowels and stick them together with Velcro and figure out what had to be done.

And I explained what I had been thinking. And everybody said, you know, that sounds like it might work. And we started. having some conferences on it, putting a team together. A few of us actually went over to Germany to examine the twins. And we came back and started doing practice sessions. where we would take two dowels and stick them together with Velcro and figure out what had to be done.

And I explained what I had been thinking. And everybody said, you know, that sounds like it might work. And we started. having some conferences on it, putting a team together. A few of us actually went over to Germany to examine the twins. And we came back and started doing practice sessions. where we would take two dowels and stick them together with Velcro and figure out what had to be done.

The nurses designed special drapes that could be used so that when you pull the beds apart, the drapes would fall into place and maintain the sterility of the field. The head nurse in neuro became my psychiatrist. You know, I would lay down on the couch and close my eyes, and she would say, tell me what you need, tell me what instrument. And she'd put together all the packs.

The nurses designed special drapes that could be used so that when you pull the beds apart, the drapes would fall into place and maintain the sterility of the field. The head nurse in neuro became my psychiatrist. You know, I would lay down on the couch and close my eyes, and she would say, tell me what you need, tell me what instrument. And she'd put together all the packs.

The nurses designed special drapes that could be used so that when you pull the beds apart, the drapes would fall into place and maintain the sterility of the field. The head nurse in neuro became my psychiatrist. You know, I would lay down on the couch and close my eyes, and she would say, tell me what you need, tell me what instrument. And she'd put together all the packs.

And it was really quite a team effort. You know, I got so much credit for doing it, but I couldn't have done it without all those people.

And it was really quite a team effort. You know, I got so much credit for doing it, but I couldn't have done it without all those people.