He's never had a head transplant, but now the doctor says he's ready for it
The world of medicine is about to face one of its biggest ethical and technical challenges. A human head transplant could be closer than ever, according to Popular Mechanics , though the scientific community still has serious doubts about its feasibility and the ethical implications it would entail.
Head transplants date back more than a century. In 1908, Charles Guthrie managed to transplant a dog’s head onto the neck of another dog, maintaining blood flow for a few hours. This scientific achievement may have cost him the Nobel Prize, which was awarded only to his research partner.
The field of head transplantation has been marked by controversial experiments and incremental developments. In the 1950s, Soviet surgeon Vladimir Demikhov performed transplants on dogs that lived for up to a month. Later, in the 1970s, Robert White managed to make a transplanted monkey live for eight days with the ability to see, hear, and even bite, earning him the nickname “Dr. Butcher.”
Sergio Canavero is currently leading this research after years of research into new surgical techniques in different countries. Their method involves a very precise cut of the spinal cord and the use of polyethylene glycol to speed up its fusion. This technique has aroused both interest and skepticism in the medical community.
The main technical hurdle is reconnecting the spinal cord, which is currently impossible. As Allen Foer, an expert on the ethical considerations of organ transplants, points out, if the technique is viable, it will already be used to treat the 250,000 spinal cord injuries that occur worldwide each year.
In addition to the surgical challenges, fundamental questions arise about the patient’s identity. How will the body change affect the recipient’s consciousness? Scientists have discovered that the enteric nervous system, known as the “second brain,” greatly influences our emotions and decisions.
- The uncertain future of head transplantation
Quality of life after surgery is another major concern. Experts warn of severe chronic pain, partial paralysis and years of rehabilitation. The patient will need to be in an induced coma for up to four weeks to allow the spine to heal.
Canavero has already conducted experiments on animals and human cadavers, though his results have been questioned. His first volunteer, Valery Spiridonov, a Russian scientist with a degenerative disease, ultimately declined the procedure after starting a family.
The ethical debate intensifies when you consider that a brain-dead donor could save multiple lives by donating individual organs, rather than an entire body. Still, Canavero sees a head transplant as a step toward dramatically extending lifespans and is already working toward his next goal: transplanting brains into human clones.