Janet Fang/IFL Science
There have been countless innovations in medicine that have been beneficial and others, that seem too far-fetched to be true.
Italian surgeon Sergio Canavero insists he will attempt the world’s first human head transplant and has found his patient: 30-year-old Valery Spiridonov of Vladimir, Russia. He suffers from a rare genetic disorder called Werdnig-Hoffman muscle wasting disease.
Italian surgeon Sergio Canavero believes he can successfully
transplant a full human head onto a body. (Photo by: Godong/UIG via Getty Images)
The procedure, which would involve over 150 nurses and doctors, would fuse the ends of the spinal cords using a chemical that prompts fat in cell membranes to connect.
Canavero says they have successfully tried it in laboratory mice and it has been successful, but many experts feel this feat is not plausible and would be torturous for Spiridonov even if he were to survive the operation. The possibility exists that the patient may not be able to breathe and move on their own and the anti-rejection medicines would be needed in such large quantities it would poison the body.
To read more on this fascinating medical debate, click here.
