Russian man to undergo world's first head transplant

If successful, the pioneering procedure could give new hope to thousands of paralysed and disabled people

A Russian suffering from a rare genetic disease has volunteered to undergo the world’s first human head transplant.

Thirty-year-old Valery Spiridonov has a fatal Werdnig-Hoffman muscle wasting disease, which, according to him, is expected to get worse every year; hence, Spiridonov wants a new body before he dies.

“My decision is final and I do not plan to change my mind,” he said.

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



PHOTO: MAIL ONLINE 

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Although the procedure, titled ‘Heaven’, has raised controversy, Spiridonov states he is fully aware of the risks and has faith in Dr Sergio Canavero, who, with a team of 150 doctors and nurses, is going to cut off Spiridonov’s head and attach it to a healthy donor body.

According to reports, the surgery is expected to take at least 36 hours, and will cost an estimated sum of £7.5million.

Dr Canavero have been called "nuts" and his plans have been termed "pure fantasy". According to the CNN, however, he claims to have received a stack of emails and letters, most of them transsexuals, willing to volunteer for the surgery which would give them a new body.

The first monkey head transplant was performed 40 years ago, and caused it to die within eight days as its body rejected the new head.

Reports said before the monkey died, it could not even breathe on its own.

The would-be patient and doctor have only talked via Skype and Canavero is yet to examine Spiridonov’s medical reports.

Canavero claims all the techniques required to carry out the procedure already exist and all he needs to do is surgically connect two parts. The new body is expected to come from a donor who is brain dead but otherwise healthy.



                                            PHOTO: MAIL ONLINE

While Spiridonov hopes for the surgery to take place within a year, Canavero aims to perform the transplant sometime around 2017.

Dr Hunt Batjer, president elect of the American Association for Neurological Surgeons, said: “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,” he added.

Canavero requires a large medical centre for the procedure and is due to present his plan to the American Academy of Neurological and Orthopedic Surgeons, or AANOS, at its annual conference in June.

If Canavero fails to get the support he needs in the US, he will look to China for assistance.

This article originally appeared on Mail Online