First Human Head Transplant To Be Performed By Italian-Chinese Medical Team

By R. Siva Kumar - 12 Sep '15 14:14PM

An Italian-Chinese medical team confirmed that it will undertake the world's first-ever human head transplant in 2017.

Ren Xiaping, along with Italian surgeon Sergio Canavero, will undertake the historic procedure if the preparatory research and tests are put up according to schedule, Ren said, according to AFP.

"A lot of media have been saying we will definitely attempt the surgery by 2017, but that's only if every step before that proceeds smoothly," he stated.

The historic head will belong to 30-year-old Valery Spiridonov, reported Fox News. He is suffering from a genetic muscle-deteoriorating condition called Werdnig-Hoffmann Disease that tends to stoke chewing, swallowing and breathing difficulties, along with loss of motor functions.

Spiridonov agreed to undergo the experience, ignoring the potential risks in the activity.

"When I realized that I could participate in something really big and important, I had no doubt left in my mind and started to work in this direction," said Spiridonov, a Russian computer scientist. "The only thing I feel is the sense of pleasant impatience, like I have been preparing for something important all my life and it is starting to happen."

Getting a donor body will be difficult for the doctors. They will perform it at Harbin Medical University in China, so the donor too would be Chinese.

Interestingly, organ donations in China are not too widespread as most of them believe in reincarnation after death. Hence, that calls for a "complete body".

The operation will last for 36 hours. Spiridonov's head needs to be cooled, while the donor's body would have to extend the period during which the cells can survive without oxygen.

What will Spiridonov after the operation? Go on a vacation, according to Discovery.

"But on a serious note, this operation is aimed at restoring independence of severely disabled people. Once I get it back I'll see what the life of a healthier person looks like," he said, according to hngn.