The World’s First Major Transplant Can Take Place This Year

The world’s first head transplant can become a reality in China as early as this year.

The world’s first major transplant can take place this year

The complicated operation is imminent. That might happen as early as this year, according to an interview neurosurgeon Sergio Canavero gave back to German news magazine Ooom in 2017.

Going beyond the controversy and ethical considerations – which are many – this revolutionary operation has also divided the waters in scientific circles.

Last year, it was Valery Spiridonov who was to become the first patient to undergo the transplant. However, the young man decided to reject the offer, and an anonymous Chinese man who goes by the pseudonym “Frankenstein” has taken his place.

Frankenstein may be the first person ever to undergo a major transplant.

A neurosurgeon’s dream and a challenge that science has not yet faced

Sergio Canavero is a member of the Advanced Neuromodulation Group in Turin, Italy.

He explained in the interview that he has always dreamed of becoming the first doctor to perform a successful head transplant.

“Successful” is the key word here. So far, all attempts at animals have failed.

Dr. Canavero explains that the technology so far has not been good enough for such a difficult operation. But now there are fewer technological obstacles, more qualified professionals and much more sophisticated means. All this increases the chance of success.

The scientific community is skeptical, but Dr. Canavero is determined to do its best. His work is based on Dr. Robert White’s results. White tried in the 1970s to transplant a primate’s head to another body, but even though the operation was a milestone, he failed to connect the most important part: the nervous system.

In 2013, Sergio Canavero wrote an article in which he explained why a head transplant can succeed today. One of the main reasons, according to Canavero, is that we now have the technology to establish a proper connection with the spinal cord.

So it looks like the first major transplant can actually happen this year.

Can a head transplant really be possible?

The main transplant was first scheduled to be performed in December 2017. But it has now been postponed to 2018. According to Dr. The operation of Canavero will give patients opportunities that have never before been within reach, for example:

• give paralyzed mobility back.
• Avoid diseases such as cancer and nerve degeneration

However, not everyone thinks that we should throw ourselves into a major transplant as early as 2018. According to many other scientists, there are still too many ethical consequences.

A new patient, new date and new stage for the first operation

Valery Spiridonov was the first to say yes to the experimental operation. He suffers from spinal muscle atrophy with little chance of survival.

After two years of work, however, Canavero could not promise Spiridonov what he dreamed of: that he would get to go again and have a normal life. Canavero could not even promise him that he would survive the operation.

Therefore, the young Russian decided to undergo another operation, where he had a greater chance of positive results. The surgery is likely to enable him to live a dignified and pain-free life.

Meanwhile, Dr. Sergio Canavero found another disabled patient with severe mobility problems he can continue his project with.

China has offered to facilitate the operation. At a recent press conference, it was revealed that the revolutionary operation would take place in a hospital that had been specially equipped.

The exact date is not yet known. But the operation will take at least 72 hours.

So far, it seems like the whole thing is going to go up in a higher unit. Everything is in place for the operation to be performed . And there is not much risk of being rejected by the Chinese hospital now, they explained, because the brain is a “neutral” organ, unlike the heart, liver or kidneys.

Sergio Canavero is as ready as he can be with a team of experts and professional facilities behind him.

The only thing we can do now is wait. This controversial and amazing operation can open new doors and give us opportunities that we have never had before.