What happens when your body no longer works?

Maybe you are given a terminal diagnosis of cancer or some other debilitating illness and you find yourself wishing for a miracle. If you are in such a pickle, then heads up! A human head transplant may be on the horizon.

1954

It started as early as the 50s. Russian Scientist Vladimir Demikhov performed the first head transplant on a canine. Both the head and forepaws were successfully mounted on the body of a healthy dog. Although the procedure seemed to go well, after 6 days, the animal was dead. This doesn’t seem very successful at all.

1970

In the 1970s, Dr. Robert White conducted the first monkey head transplant. His many years of surgical experience offered a way to successfully replace the head of a brain dead subject with a healthy head and brain. The experiment raised a few concerns: Was the surgery immoral by religious standards and most importantly, would the procedure work?

Yes and No – the procedure was somewhat successful – the subject could see, hear, taste and experience basic facial movements, but the animal was left paralyzed. It was apparent that the monkey was indeed  alive, but miserable!

2013

Dr. Sergio Canavero, of the Turin Advanced Neuromodulation Group in Italy, first offered the idea of human head transplant in 2013. He wished to help those who suffer from terminal cancer or patients with paralysis.

Canavero states: “The issue of preventing tissue rejection and problems with fusing the spinal cord are the main concerns.

2015

In June of this year, Canavero will present the project details to the Annual Conference of the American Academy of Neurological and Orthopedic Surgeons (AANOS). Canavero plans to conduct the surgery in 2016 or 2017.

The basics of the procedure

To begin, Canavero will dissect tissues in the incision. Blood vessels will be linked using tubing. After other tissues are severed, the spinal cord will be cut. It will be important to make a clean cut, keeping cord tissues intact-yet separated.

At this point, the head will be reattached to the donor body. In order to fuse the spinal cord to its new location, the donor area will be flushed with polyethylene glycol and then connected to the other portion of the spinal cord.

After the head is connected to the body, with blood vessels fused together, the severed area will be injected with yet another dose of polyethylene glycol. There are hopes that this will work as well as when fats are fused together in other parts of the body.

After the procedure, the patient will be kept in a coma to prevent movements. As the patient sleeps, electrodes will be used to provide continued electrical stimulation. This helps mesh the spinal cord and strengthen nerve connections.

Upon waking, the patient will think, feel and even speak normally. After a year of physical therapy, Canavero surmises that the patient will also be able to walk.

Any Volunteers?

It seems there are plenty volunteers for a head transplant. There is, however, a reason why Canavero set a date for the year 2017. In 2013, Canavero was contacted with a 60 word email by an enthusiastic sufferer of Werdnig-Hoffman disease, named Valery Spiridonov. Canavero’s project was just underway. Spiridonov was excited by the prospect of extending his life, since the disease had an estimated life expectancy of 20 years. He has little to lose with the experiment.

When asked why he wanted the public to know of his decision, Spiridonov said,

When the world witnessed the first man in space, they were astonished and in awe. I want the world to see this as a great milestone, that I was the first successful head transplant patient.”

Spiridonov is scared but prepared for the procedure. Funding is of question, as well as why Canavero chose his subject over other volunteers. There is a method to his madness it seems.

The human head transplant – will it work?

Keep ahead of the game and stay tuned to the year 2017. We will know soon enough whether the world has surpassed yet another great obstacle of science, and of medicine.


Copyright © 2012-2024 Learning Mind. All rights reserved. For permission to reprint, contact us.

power of misfits book banner desktop

Like what you are reading? Subscribe to our newsletter to make sure you don’t miss new thought-provoking articles!

This Post Has 2 Comments

  1. Otto Bhan

    Yikes! Here come the zombies. Ack! Not in my backyard.
    Vanavero, oh oh
    Volare, oh oh ah oh.
    Nel blu de tinto de blu
    ectera, ectera,…
    Remember the first Jarvis mechanical heart transplant?
    Google it. Uh, well, God bless early adapters, eh?

    1. Sherrie

      I read about a few of the early head transplants. Of course, they weren’t really successful, as the spine caused the majority of the issues. I do believe the scientists were able to keep a dog and ape alive for a day or so, but it all went bad after that.

Leave a Reply