Valery Spiridonov, a 30 year-old Russian computer scientist, suffers from the rare muscle wasting disease Werdnig-Hoffman
A patient has volunteered to become the first person in the world to undergo a complete head transplant.

Valery Spiridonov, 30, says he is prepared to be operated on by surgeon Dr Sergio Canavero who claims he can remove a head and attach it to a healthy body.

Russian computer scientist Mr Spiridonov, 30, who suffers a potentially deadly rare genetic disorder called Werdnig-Hoffman disease, said: “My decision is final and I do not plan to change my mind.

“Am I afraid? Yes, of course I am,” he said. “But it is not just very scary, but also very interesting.

“But you have to understand that I don’t really have many choices.

“If I don’t try this chance my fate will be very sad. With every year my state is getting worse.”

Italian Dr Canavero said he has part of the funding secured, although, he said, he cannot yet disclose where the money is coming from as a condition of the funding.

He has identified Mr Spiridonov as the first patient.

Dr Canavero and Mr Spiridonov have talked via Skype but have not yet met and the doctor has not reviewed his medical records.


Dr Canavero and Mr Spiridonov
The surgeon said he has received many emails and letters from people seeking the procedure. Dr Canavero has named the procedure HEAVEN, an acronym for head anastomosis venture.

Anastomosis involves the surgical connecting of two parts. The new body would come from a transplant donor who is brain dead but otherwise healthy.

Dr Canavero said: “I say two years is the time needed for the team to reach perfect synchronization.”

He estimates a team of 150 doctors and nurses will be needed for what is estimated to be a 36-hour surgery.

The first monkey head transplant was performed 45 years ago in 1970.

The monkey died after eight days, because the body rejected the new head.

Before the monkey died, it was unable to move because the spinal cord of the head and body were not sufficiently connected.

The monkey could also not breathe on its own.

Dr Canavero said he will use a “magic ingredient” as a sealant to fuse the human spinal cords back together.

Arthur Caplan, director of medical ethics at New York University’s Langone Medical Centre, has described Dr Canavero as “nuts”.

He said the bodies of head transplant patients “would end up being overwhelmed with different pathways and chemistry than they are used to and they’d go crazy.”

He added: “It’s not like you can unscrew your head and put it on someone else.”

Dr Hunt Batjer, president elect of the American Association for Neurological Surgeons, added: “I would not wish this on anyone.

“I would not allow anyone to do it to me as there are a lot of things worse than death.”
Cc
Lalasticlala

On behalf of my family and I ...rest in peace

God be with you till we meet again.

Tho only thing their olodo nigerian counterpart know how to do is to strike over unpaid 160 k monthly salary

If he succeeds he will be glorifed, if he failed hmmmm be ready for law suit

If he succeeds he will be glorifed, if he fails hmmmm be ready for law suit

That's the beauty of science
but I wish he could do a sample operation on animal before human.... all the best, Record loading 50%

NwaChibuzor:
Tho only thing their olodo nigerian counterpart know how to do is to strike over unpaid 160 k monthly salary

ogami you make me laff ........ and how many Nigerian doctors can ever think doing that kinda procedure in their life time! Na only money......

Some of the best doctors in the world are Nigerians. If the working atmosphere is right, nothing stops our doctors here from performing beyond expectation.