30-year-old man agrees to full head transplant
Valery Spiridinov, a 30-year-old Russian man with the severely debilitating Werdnig-Hoffmann disease, intends to undergo the world’s first human head transplant. The doctor who plans to perform the surgery – which would take place in 2017 – is Dr. Sergio Canavero, a confident neurosurgeon from Italy who claims the procedure can be done in one day and will have a 90 percent chance of success.
The surgery, which was unsuccessfully performed on monkeys in the 1970s, is divided into three stages.
In the first stage the body must be chilled to 10-20 degrees.
The second stage involves cutting the spinal cord.
And in the third stage the nerves and blood vessels must all be woven back together before putting the patient into a coma for a few weeks.
The biggest concern doctors have is whether or not Spiridinov’s brain will still function after the surgery.
Source:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/science/11672996/Russian-man-to-undergo-worlds-first-full-head-transplant.html
#surgery #transplant #medicine
I wonder how they will manage to connect all the nerves of the spinal chord !
ReplyDeleteIf this works, it would be pretty incredible. A real life doctor Frankenstein. I do wonder where they get the other body though
ReplyDeleteNo one has been able to restore nerve pathways even within the same individual, how does he think he will succeed with the further complications of tissue rejection and nerve pathway start/stop points that don't correspond? I'm incredulous.
ReplyDeleteStar Trek
ReplyDeleteGood luck to this guy.
ReplyDeleteSean Walker Indeed. I can't help but suspect this is a publicity stunt for Dr. Canavero, playing off on the desperation of his patient.
ReplyDeleteSean Walker Rick Swartz Yeah I'm pretty sure this guy is either exploiting this desperate individual or actually believes in his own nonsense. Either possibility seems quite horrible.
ReplyDeleteSam Collett they'd get the body the way they (usually) get organ transplant donations currently - accident victims who have the working organs required. Of course in this case the organ would be the whole body. Which is interesting in itself because it betrays our cognitive bias. An alternative way of looking at the situation would be that a head is being donated. ;)
ReplyDeleteIt's absolutely amazing...and I hope Dr Canavero will make it happen! But if the surgery will have a negative outcome, still I appreciate the entire process of this.... In my opinion we will need a lot of practice, spinal nerves and everything will take an enormous time to reattach and be functional. As for the brain functions, well that's an important obstacle to conquer ;)
ReplyDeleteCorina Marinescu you are a wonderfully incorrigible Franky. :) And who hope for anything less in a doctor looking after their medical interests?
ReplyDelete95 to 5 that he will not survive it - but it is a 5% chance ?
ReplyDeleteSome people might want a new body, but in reality, many should look for a new head.
ReplyDeleteIts a big risk but I understand why Spiridinov wants to go through with it. He and Dr. Canavero are definitely pioneers. I have a gut feeling this procedure will be a success but the ironic thing is Spiridinov will die from a skydiving innocent two years later from his body transplant. Wouldn't that be something?
ReplyDeleteAfter his transplant, Spiridinov will have many years of physical therapy to get the brain to map out those new connections. I think that in itself will be the amazing thing to see.