Doctors will attempt a head transplant

[Hammock Parties]

It's exactly what it sounds like.

http://www.businessinsider.com/valer...nsplant-2015-4

In a procedure that would be nothing short of revolutionary, a 30-year-old Russian man has volunteered to be the first to have his head transplanted onto another human body.

In an interview with Russia Today, Valery Spiridonov, the volunteer, explained that he has a rare muscle condition called Werdnig-Hoffmann disorder, aka spinal muscular atrophy, which causes one's muscles to waste away and has no known cure.

He believes the surgery could help prolong his life and also be a huge boon for scientific research.

"I'm very interested in technology, and anything progressive that might change people's lives for the better," Spiridonov told RT. "Doing this isn't only an excellent opportunity for me, but will also create a scientific basis for future generations, no matter what the actual outcome of the surgery is."

The operation will reportedly last up to 36 hours and cost an estimated $11 million. The entire procedure will require the assistance of around 150 doctors and nurses. RT also reports that the whole operation will be orchestrated by Dr. Sergio Canavero, a renowned neurosurgeon and director of the Turin Advanced Neuromodulation Group in Turin, Italy.

Dr. Canavero explained this procedure — called "HEAVEN," an acronym for "head anastomosis venture" — in a TedX talk in December, embedded here.

Spiridonov's new body will be taken from "a brain-dead but otherwise healthy donor," and Spiridonov's brain will be cooled down to between 50 and 60 degrees Fahrenheit to prolong the time brain cells can survive without oxygen. The spinal cord will be cut with a special scalpel that's especially sharp, and the head will be reconnected to the new body and spinal cord with "a special biological glue."

Once the operation is finished, Spiridonov will be put into a coma for around three to four weeks to prevent any movement, and he will be given immunosuppressents so his body doesn't reject the new head.

Though this surgery could be a major breakthrough in science, some doctors believe there are too many risks involved in such a long, complicated, and dangerous procedure. Dr. Hunt Batjer, president-elect of the American Association for Neurological Surgeons, told CNN, "I would not wish this on anyone ... I would not allow anyone to do it to me as there are a lot of things worse than death."

Still, Spiridonov says he is aware of the risks. He believes this will do more good than harm.

"This technology is similar to the first man to walk in space," he told RT. "This is because in the future it will help thousands of people who are in an even more deplorable state than I am."

Dr. Canavero hopes to complete the head transplant operation on Spiridonov in 2017.

[BigCatDaddy]

Originally Posted by OldSchool

I think they actually have done a penis transplant before. I'm not sure and don't care to research it, but I think I remember seeing it as a headline while scanning Yahoo News, CNN, or whatever news site that I was on.

Youre dickless. There is a shocker.

[Dragonocho]

Originally Posted by cosmo20002

I assume a successful head transplant would not involve actually being able have any motor function since the spinal cord has to be severed and there's no fixing that as far as I know.

The article was very clear that they would use "biological glue". Any questions you have about whether it will work or not are, therefore, invalid. They have glue. LOL

[BigMeatballDave]

Originally Posted by Dragonocho

The article was very clear that they would use "biological glue". Any questions you have about whether it will work or not are, therefore, invalid. They have glue. LOL

[Lonewolf Ed]

Originally Posted by GloucesterChief

Just wait until we can fix genetic conditions and then 3D print new organs from your own genetic material so very small chance of rejection. The expected human lifespan will grow in multiples in the next half a century.

If they could cure my colon and liver cancer like that, maybe I could get a good night's sleep for a bloody change instead of being up all night with pains and pressure in my lower intestine.

[Sully]

Great idea, until they put it on backwards by mistake.

[Don Corlemahomes]

Originally Posted by Dragonocho

The article was very clear that they would use "biological glue". Any questions you have about whether it will work or not are, therefore, invalid. They have glue. LOL

That's my favorite part of this idea. "Uh, yeah, I'm gonna use super secret glue that nobody knows about. Just trust me on this."

[TimeForWasp]

He will be fingerprinted later and life and go to prison for the bodies crimes.

[Marcellus]

So there is a chance Clay's body could still get a brain in his lifetime.

[Rain Man]

Out of curiosity, if they could do this, could they put a man's head on a woman's body or vice versa? It seems like there wouldn't be a particular problem atop the normal challenges of a head transplant.

If you were minutes from dying and the only available body was someone of the opposite gender, would you do it? It seems like most people would.

And would different hormones affect either the brain or the body? The gender hormones are in your brain, right? So would they be feeding testosterone or estrogen into the body, and eventually create a sex change to your original gender other than a little surgery on the hardware?

[Willie Lanier]

Never going to work at least not in my lifespan...

I know enough about human anatomy and physiology to know we're years away from any kind of surgery like this...

It's also incredibly vain of the surgeon to do this

[cosmo20002]

Originally Posted by Sully

Great idea, until they put it on backwards by mistake.

This is pretty close

[Dragonocho]

If Nicolas Cage does not star in the movie, I will be disappoint.

[Rain Man]

Originally Posted by Dragonocho

If Nicolas Cage does not star in the movie, I will be disappoint.

As the head or the body?