First Human Head Transplant Planned for 2017

[carrrnuttt]

Yep:

http://www.voanews.com/a/first-human-head-transplant-planned-2017/3308988.html

Many prominent surgeons think the idea is crazy and will not work, but Italian neurosurgeon Sergio Canavero says he still plans to attempt the first human head transplant late next year.He even has a volunteer, 31-year-old Russian software development manager Valery Spiridonov, who suffers from a debilitating muscle-wasting disease.

Canavero's project does have supporters in the medical community, including Dr. Michael Sarr, professor emeritus of surgery at the Mayo Clinic. He said the procedure is very risky, but experiments show that reconnected spinal cord nerves may actually function.

During the procedure, estimated to last about 36 hours, Spiridonov’s head will be cooled to around 12 degrees Celsius, cut from his body and, as quickly as possible, connected to a donated body of a brain-dead person.

Canavero will be assisted by a team of 100 surgeons and other medical staff, including some who have experience in head transplants on animals.

After surgery, Spiridonov will be kept in an artificially-induced coma for 3 to 4 weeks while doctors stimulate his spinal cord nerves to reconnect and start functioning.

Transplants of various organs are now routinely done on human patients in many parts of the world, but all attempts at head transplants done on monkeys quickly resulted in death. However, Canavero predicts that Spiridonov will not only live with his new body, but be able to walk within a year of the operation.

 

[Tx5811]

Wow that's crazy lol. Highly doubt it will work but still an impressive experiment nonetheless

 

[R.D.P.]

Yeah, good luck with that. Can't get it to work on a Monkey but going to go ahead and try it on a Human, makes sense to me.

 

[BlueSnake01]

Well, at least we know how the Zombie Apocalypse will start

 

[BRNG ITT]

I see this guy somehow coming out just a head of his current situation after the surgery.

 

[Sonic605hp]

That patient is going right to the head of the software industry.

 

[Bearbo]

I see this guy somehow coming out just a head of his current situation after the surgery.

I see wut you did there.

 

[NastyNate420]

yeah thats crazy ..... but then again the guy doesnt have much to for live for anyway.

 

[jbs$]

Wife number three could have benefited here, a #10 body and a head that was totally nuts. It was a shame for the body to go to waste due to the fact that her mouth could run you crazy in an hour.

 

[Sirraf]

Yeah, good luck with that. Can't get it to work on a Monkey but going to go ahead and try it on a Human, makes sense to me.

Actually the monkey did work from what I saw in videos.

 

[Iamchris]

Hmmm. I'm going with the army of medical professionals who say this isn't going to work.

I thought with the monkey it only gained basic function back, like blinking, and died soon thereafter.

I'm betting this person ends up brain dead anyway, sadly.

 

[thehunterooo]

Keep the puns coming :lol:

 

[silver03svt]

Well, even if it doesn't work, hopefully science will get ahead of the game in research.

 

[jbs$]

Well, if it works, look for government to bring back the guillotine for speeding, then sell the body to the highest bidder.

 

[Sn95Snake]

Well, even if it doesn't work, hopefully science will get ahead of the game in research.

Pretty much my exact thought on it as well. Experiments have to be done to learn and develop.

 

[Sladester2]

Pretty much my exact thought on it as well. Experiments have to be done to learn and develop.

Hey thats what Hitler said too.

 

[nofire]

Well, even if it doesn't work, hopefully science will get ahead of the game in research.

ICWUTUDIDTHUR. lol.

Pretty much my exact thought on it as well. Experiments have to be done to learn and develop.

If you want to make an omelette, you gotta break some eggs.

Hey thats what Hitler said too.

Godwin's law is in effect, ladies and gents!


Seriously though, as long as it's with volunteers like this I'm all for it. We'll learn more through this than years and years of "normal" research. And as for the Hitler comment, keep in mind a lot of modern medicine was created through what we learned from the Germans and their experiments back then.

I do wonder one thing though, would this really be considered a head transplant or a body transplant? Because everything that makes you YOU, is all in the head. So in effect this dude is getting a body transplant...

 

[Speedwagon]

Just think what that'll do on the transgender world?? Put a man's head on a woman's body... Haha... Just saying

 

[kevinatfms]

Just think what that'll do on the transgender world?? Put a man's head on a woman's body... Haha... Just saying

Then are you ****ing a man or a woman?

 

[CobraBob]

I can only imagine what's now going on in this guy's head. Heads you win. Tails you lose. :uh oh: You just know that in his head he's constantly thinking how the odds are stacked against him.