Doctor Ready to Perform First Human Head Transplant (newsweek.com)

Ross Kenneth Urken, reporting for Newsweek (edited and condensed): Italian neurosurgeon Sergio Canavero had his Dr. Strange moment when he announced he'd be able to do a human head transplant in a two-part procedure he dubs HEAVEN (paywalled, this alternate link could help) (head anastomosis venture) and Gemini (the subsequent spinal cord fusion). [...] Canavero has a plan: It's a 36-hour, $20 million procedure involving at least 150 people, including doctors, nurses, technicians, psychologists and virtual reality engineers. In a specially equipped hospital suite, two surgical teams will work simultaneously -- one focused on Valery Spiridonov (patient) and the other on the donor's body, selected from a brain-dead patient and matched with the Spiridonov for height, build and immunotype. Both patients -- anesthetized and outfitted with breathing tubes -- will have their heads locked using metal pins and clamps, and electrodes will be attached to their bodies to monitor brain and heart activity. Next, Spiridonov's head will be nearly frozen, ultimately reaching 12 to 15 degrees Celsius, which will make him temporarily brain-dead.Shouldn't it be called a body transplant? Since a person is often defined by the brain. You can read the complete procedure here.

Comments

Yep, it's a body transplant

[BarbaraHudson]

But at $20 million dollars, it's definitely something you don't want to lose your head over. Too damn expensive!

Re:Yep, it's a body transplant

[jellomizer]

I am more curious on the long term effects vs. the procedure.

Our health and state of being is beyond just our brain. How we feel and experience the world is based on what our body translates as well. If you are feeling nervous stomach medicine can help that. Because when we feel nervous we send signals to our body and the sensation feedbacks to itself.

So getting a new body how much would that change the man?

Re:Yep, it's a body transplant

[Applehu Akbar]

"And then we have stupidity like this bogus story [now8news.com]"

I hope that when this guy starts dating agin, he understands that neigh means neigh.

Re:Yep, it's a body transplant

[Mr D from 63]

If you upgrade the CPU is it still the same computer?

Not according to Microsoft.

Re:Yep, it's a body transplant

[OakDragon]

They were going to do a body transplant, but turned out the head is easier to pick up and move around.

Re:Yep, it's a body transplant

[marciot]

It costs an arm and a leg to get a head in this world.

Paywall

[bruce_the_loon]

Please stop posting paywalled articles.

Re:Paywall

[msmash]

Thanks for pointing that out. It's a feature article, so you wouldn't find this news elsewhere. I have updated the story to add a Google cache link of the story, check if that helps.

Dammit Jim, it's a body transplant

[OzPeter]

Yep body transplant.

But can someone point to where he has done successful animal trials? Or even sliced and diced the same animal in order to reattach the spinal cord? Or Froze and un-froze an animal head?

Until the parts are tested, colour me skeptical

Re:Dammit Jim, it's a body transplant

[SB5407]

AND, it said right there in the Newsweek article that Dr. Robert J. White did the first (mostly?) successful head transplant on a monkey in 1970. Lots of precedent for this, surprisingly.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...

Re:Immortal at last

[Anonymous Coward]

Even if this body transplant surgery works perfectly, you are not immune from disease like Alzheimers and Parkinsons.

Oh really?

Re:Why not go dual core?

[kimvette]

Zaphod Beeblebrox, is that you?