First ever head transplant patient: I value my life and have trust in science

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First Ever Head Transplant Patient: I Value My Life And Have Trust in Science

The world’s first human head transplant candidate, Russia’s Valery Spiridonov, said he was living life to the full but believed it was important to move science ahead, in an exclusive interview with Sputnik Italia on Tuesday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Valery Spiridonov, a 30-year-old computer scientist, volunteered in spring to become Italian neurosurgeon Dr. Sergio Canavero’s first human patient. Canavero is planning to perform the world’s first human head transplant in December 2017, although neither exact date nor place have been chosen yet.

"I value my life a lot because I’m living it to the full. I love my job, I work a lot, I travel, and do social work. But I also take interest in science and technology, and I believe they will help humanity solve previously unsolvable problems, like treating incurable diseases," Spiridonov said.

Spiridonov is suffering from a genetic muscle wasting condition called Werdnig-Hoffmann disease, which results in a generalized muscle weakness, while mental development usually remains normal.

Spiridonov first met Dr. Canavero in the northeast US state of Maryland in June, where the scientist was delivering a keynote lecture on the human head transplant.

Full story: http://sputniknews.com/art_living/20150909/1026762170.html

-- Sputnik 2015-09-09

[DLang]

Scratching someone else's balls every night would just be strange.

Unless of course you get a set of tits and muff to play with.

Let's hope it is successful and the donor body doesn't have some unknown disease lurking. Would suck for it to be a success and then discover you have liver cancer 2 months later.

[retell]

should be called body-transplant

[Credo]

I hope they get it screwed on straight.

I know quite a few that could use a head transplant.

The problem is that if it works, she won't be who she was. She will be someone else and no previous memories of her old life or self.

Edited September 9, 2015 by Credo

[Christopher83]

he wakes up and he realizes his been attached to a goat

[boomerangutang]

They should have done that to Nixon or Chairman Mao.

The article may be like an April's Fool prank. There's a brain, and multiple nerves in the equation.

Dr. Canaveros strategy involves cooling Spiridonovs head and the donor body to extend the period during which the cells can survive without oxygen. The surgeon is expected to use extremely sharp and thin blades so that the fibres in the spinal cord can be directly and easily connected to the head. Doctors will use a polyethylene glycol chemical and electrodes to physically connect the parts. [/size]Read more: http://sputniknews.com/art_living/20150909/1026762170.html#ixzz3lD6HQQSr [/size]

I guess it proves the addage: 'if it can be done, it will be done' (thankfully that hasn't yet applied to nuclear holocaust). What's next, a penis and scrotum surgically attached to the nose of a female beauty queen?

[DLang]

Creepy thing is, the guy with the donor body doesn't know yet.

Probably won't.

I presume the body needs to be somewhat fresh and died suddenly.

[ezzra]

Oh lordy lordy...head transplant... now all the ugly and stupid people of the world have a chance for better life....

[edwinchester]

Wouldn't he be permanently paralysed due to the spinal cord being severed?

[fritzzz25]

Can they work on a brain transplant for uncle Vlad first?

[pedro01]

Wouldn't he be permanently paralysed due to the spinal cord being severed?

The doc believes he can basically superglue the ends of the cord together and that it'll all figure itself out.

[Tywais]

A topic from April for more background - World's First Human Head Transplant Planned

[h90]

Scratching someone else's balls every night would just be strange.

Unless of course you get a set of tits and muff to play with.

Let's hope it is successful and the donor body doesn't have some unknown disease lurking. Would suck for it to be a success and then discover you have liver cancer 2 months later.

well swapping the liver would be a minor thing after the full swap before.....

[Andaman Al]

Oh lordy lordy...head transplant... now all the ugly and stupid people of the world have a chance for better life....

Oh lordy lordy....But if they are ugly and stupid and they transplant the head they are still going to be ugly and stupid but on a different body! Maybe you just had a blonde moment.

[balo]

So if they move my head from a tired 50 year old body to a 20 year old body I will feel like 20 again ?

And I get to keep my brain cells so I can start all over again without doing the same mistakes.

Sign me up!

Edited September 9, 2015 by balo

[Andaman Al]

So if they move my head from a tired 50 year old body to a 20 year old body I will feel like 20 again ?

And I get to keep my brain cells so I can start all over again without doing the same mistakes.

Sign me up!

But when you go out wearing your shirt and trousers ......you'll still look 50 And imagine your 80 year old head on a 50 year old body LoL.

[sweatalot]

some fantasies ...

tomboy head on male body builder

gatoy head on beauty queen

old ugly woman on 20 year old beauty queen ... then face transplant

I am smelling some business ideas .... beautiful young bodies have to be provided ... (note to myself: have to call some people on Koh Tao)

Edited September 9, 2015 by sweatalot

[jmccarty]

I saw this on the new movie "Turbo Kid" it really works, just need any old headless body, some silver tape, and a head that is still alive.

[Seastallion]

So, they find a patient who is in a vegetative state due to irreparable brain damage and can legally have the plug pulled. Do some tissue compatibility experiments over a few months...if no rejection, then pull the plug and do the swap.

I still suspect, as when the article first came out, that it's a money-making venture for the doctor. He's raising a lot of money.

If you think about it, mapping all the nerves in the spinal column may be impossible not least because it is two maps that have to be made. I suppose with a few crossovers, the patient would eventually learn that his balls aren't itchy, it's a fart coming, and when he wants to pee he has to crinkle his toes.....but too many crossovers will be a disaster.

The surgery would have to take days, and once started, you can't stop.

What country would allow it? Thailand perhaps?

I'll go on record here and say that it won't happen, and if it does it will be a failure.

[Sviss Geez]

So, they find a patient who is in a vegetative state due to irreparable brain damage and can legally have the plug pulled. Do some tissue compatibility experiments over a few months...if no rejection, then pull the plug and do the swap.

I still suspect, as when the article first came out, that it's a money-making venture for the doctor. He's raising a lot of money.

If you think about it, mapping all the nerves in the spinal column may be impossible not least because it is two maps that have to be made. I suppose with a few crossovers, the patient would eventually learn that his balls aren't itchy, it's a fart coming, and when he wants to pee he has to crinkle his toes.....but too many crossovers will be a disaster.

The surgery would have to take days, and once started, you can't stop.

What country would allow it? Thailand perhaps?

I'll go on record here and say that it won't happen, and if it does it will be a failure.

But then you're no doctor.

[Bakseeda]

Goodness, I thought Obama had his done already...!!!

[jerome2]

Certainly a smelly old april joke

[oneday]

There doesn't seem to be lot of difficulty in this except for the SPINAL CORD! They are going to have to sever the spinal cord and then somehow reconnect all of the nerve tissue or cords to the corresponding ones on the donor body's spine...sorry, I just can't believe we are even close to doing this yet. Do they even know what the consequences are when all signals from the body to the brain disappear. There has got to be some reaction from the brain to this.

[Chicog]

I was going to say that he needs his head examined but it probably will be.

[crickets]

I think the doctor has some kind of weired fetish

[bangkokheat]

will bring a total new meaning to "body shop" we do cut and shuts, all parts in stock, free cofe

[LookChang]

So if they move my head from a tired 50 year old body to a 20 year old body I will feel like 20 again ?

And I get to keep my brain cells so I can start all over again without doing the same mistakes.

Sign me up!

But when you go out wearing your shirt and trousers ......you'll still look 50 And imagine your 80 year old head on a 50 year old body LoL.

The right solution should be to make a brain transplant instead of a head transplant.

In this case, I would be game to transfer my 60 year old fully experienced brain into a handsome 30 year old body...

[BuaBS]

Scratching someone else's balls every night would just be strange.

Unless of course you get a set of tits and muff to play with.

Let's hope it is successful and the donor body doesn't have some unknown disease lurking. Would suck for it to be a success and then discover you have liver cancer 2 months later.

That's what your wife says.

[connda]

Creepy thing is, the guy with the donor body doesn't know yet.

Probably won't.

I presume the body needs to be somewhat fresh and died suddenly.

They can probably procure a nice, fresh body from Saudi Arabia. They seem to have a perchance for lopping off heads. If the transplant is successful, they can add to their GDP by supplying headless bodies on the transplant market.

[connda]

Oh lordy lordy...head transplant... now all the ugly and stupid people of the world have a chance for better life....

Oh lordy lordy....But if they are ugly and stupid and they transplant the head they are still going to be ugly and stupid but on a different body! Maybe you just had a blonde moment.

Think Henry Kissinger's head on Miley Cyrus's body. Twerk it!