World’s first human head transplant: Surgeon says possible scientific breakthrough is just two years

• published: 27 Feb 2015
• views: 51

The world's first attempt to transplant a human head will be launched this year at a surgical conference in the United States. The procedure was first proposed in 2013 by Sergio Canavero of the Turin Advanced Neuromodulation Group in Italy to help extend the lives of people suffering from muscle and nerve degeneration or those who have advanced cancer. Canavero said the surgery could be ready as early as 2017. The procedure begins with doctors cooling the patient’s head and the donor’s body so their cells do not die during the operation. After the neck is cut through, major blood vessels are linked up using thin tubes, and the spinal cord cut cleanly with a sharp surgical knife to minimise nerve damage. The head is then moved on to the donor’s body, and the spinal cords can be fused together using polyethylene glycol to encourage the fat in cell membranes to mesh. Once the neck is sutured, the recipient will be kept in a coma for three or four weeks while implanted electrodes provide regular electrical stimulation to the spinal cord. Finally, when the patient wakes up from the coma, they will be able to feel their face and speak but will need a year of physiotherapy before they can walk. The first successful head transplant was carried out in 1970 by a team led by Robert White at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Cleveland, Ohio. The team transplanted the head of one monkey onto the body of another. They did not join the spinal cords, so the monkey was unable to move its body. But it was able to breathe with artificial assistance. The monkey died nine days later when its immune system rejected the head. Many neuroscientists are wary of the idea, calling it too outlandish to be a serious consideration and note there are many ethical implications related to the surgery. -----------------------------------------­-------------------- Welcome to TomoWorld, where we animate the biggest headlines from around the world. Stay up to date on the latest international news when you subscribe now! https://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=TomoNewsWorld Visit our official website for all the latest, uncensored videos: https://us.tomonews.net Check out our Android app: http://bit.ly/1rddhCj Check out our iOS app: http://bit.ly/1gO3z1f Stay connected with us here: Facebook http://www.facebook.com/TomoNewsUS Twitter @tomonewsus http://www.twitter.com/TomoNewsUS Google+ http://plus.google.com/+TomoNewsUS/ Instagram @tomonewsus http://instagram.com/tomonewsus