What Happened To The First Human Head Transplant? (Feat. Medlife Crisis)

Joe Scott・2 minutes read

Dr. Sergio Canavero's ambitious plans for a human head transplant faced ethical criticisms and skepticism from the scientific community despite claims of success with animal experiments and detailed surgical protocols. The procedure involves intricate microsurgery, including spinal cord cutting and reattachment using innovative techniques like the Gemini protocol and polyethylene glycol glue with nanofibers, requiring meticulous coordination by a large surgical team over 36 hours.

Insights

  • The head transplant procedure proposed by Dr. Sergio Canavero involves intricate microsurgery on the neck, requiring collaboration across multiple surgical disciplines due to the complexity of structures involved.
  • Dr. Canavero's research on head transplants, inspired by historical experiments and advancements, faces significant skepticism and criticism from the scientific and medical communities, highlighting ethical concerns and the lack of substantial evidence supporting the safety and efficacy of the procedure.

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Recent questions

  • What is the history of head transplants?

    Head transplants date back to Luigi Galvani's experiments in 1780, inspiring Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein."

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Summary

00:00

Human head transplant: history, challenges, and success.

  • Dr. Sergio Canavero announced plans for a human head transplant in 2015, with Valy Spiridonov volunteering due to his spinal muscular atrophy.
  • The complexity of the surgery involves intricate microsurgery due to the numerous structures in the neck, requiring contributions from various surgical disciplines.
  • The historical context of head transplants dates back to Luigi Galvani's experiments with frogs in 1780, leading to the concept of galvanism and inspiring Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein."
  • Early experiments with head transplants on dogs by Charles Guthrie and later on monkeys by Vladimir Demikhov and Robert White showcased the ability to keep heads alive.
  • Dr. Canavero's interest in head transplants stemmed from the 1980s, with detailed plans published in 2015 involving Valy Spiridonov as the recipient.
  • Valy Spiridonov's condition stabilized while waiting for the surgery, leading to his marriage to Anastasia Panova and eventual withdrawal from the procedure in 2019.
  • Dr. Canavero and Dr. Ren continued research, claiming success with a rat head transplant and a human head transplant on cadavers following the Heaven Protocol.
  • The Heaven Protocol involves profound hypothermia for the recipient's head, cooling the brain to 10°C, while the donor's body is cooled through the spinal column.
  • Surgical teams meticulously sever nerves, arteries, and muscles in the neck, labeling them for reconnection during the procedure, which is technically a body transplant.
  • Both the donor and recipient are intubated, ventilated, and monitored for vital signs during the surgery, with specific steps taken to minimize blood loss and cell damage.

13:27

"Head transplant procedure faces skepticism and criticism"

  • The spinal cord cutting and reattaching protocol is called Gemini and involves an ultrasharp microsurgical instrument called a jotome.
  • After cutting the spinal cord, the head is quickly placed on the donor body, and the spinal cord is glued together using polyethylene glycol glue with chosan nanofibers.
  • The head is connected to the donor body's circulation, the spinal column is stabilized with a screw and rod system, and the trachea and esophagus are stitched back together.
  • Muscles and nerves are painstakingly reconnected before the neck is sewn up, requiring a staff of 130 doctors and taking approximately 36 hours.
  • Canavero's team claimed to have repaired a monkey's severed spinal cord, allowing it to walk again, but verification of this experiment is lacking.
  • Canavero's focus was initially on sustaining the head by reconnecting it to a different body's blood supply before addressing the challenge of reconnecting the spinal cord.
  • Traditional methods of reconnecting the spinal cord involve using polyethylene glycol, but a new type containing carbon nanofiber ribbons shows promise in aiding nerve repair.
  • The scientific and medical communities have heavily criticized the head transplant procedure, citing ethical concerns and lack of sufficient animal studies to support its safety and efficacy.
  • Canavero's research has faced skepticism and condemnation, with doubts raised about the feasibility and ethical implications of head transplants, despite claims of advancements in the field.
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