Ready for the world's first human head transplant

Italian doctor Sergio Canavero has announced he is ready to perform the world's first head transplant.

Italian neurosurgeon Professor Sergio Canavero, director of the Turin Advanced Neuromodulation Group, has claimed that he will be the first person in the world to be able to perform a human head transplant. To date, he has successfully performed a head transplant on a cadaver and is ready to perform it on a living person, Independent reported.

Professor Sergio Canavero has successfully performed a head transplant on a cadaver and is ready to perform it on a living person. Photo: AP

The successful head transplant on a cadaver shows that the advanced medical techniques he developed to connect the spine, nerves and blood vessels have worked. Dr Canavero said the upcoming formal surgery could take up to 18 hours to complete.

The doctor said the medical communities in the US and Europe would not allow the controversial surgery to proceed, so he and his colleagues will perform the upcoming surgery in China. The identities of both the donor and recipient are being kept secret.

His partner, Chinese doctor Xiaoping Ren, said all procedures were proceeding smoothly and the exact date of the surgery would be announced in the next few days. The operation is estimated to cost millions of dollars and will require dozens of surgeons and many other specialists.

Human head transplants are no longer just a fantasy in movies. Photo: The Why

The doctor also briefly described how he would perform this somewhat horror-like surgery: the spinal cords in the necks of the donor and recipient would be cut at the same time with a diamond blade. Then, the specialists would reconnect the spine, jugular vein, trachea, esophagus... Both the donor and recipient's bodies would be placed in a sitting position throughout the surgery.

To ensure the severed head remains “alive,” the doctors will use a deep hypothermia method. During that time, the head will also be anesthetized and supported by machines to help it breathe and pump blood throughout the 24-hour surgery.

Dr. Canavero has previously experimented on live mice, monkeys, and dogs. One of the dogs was able to walk unsteadily after 6 weeks of head transplant.

Professor Canavero is famous for his controversial claims about human head transplants. He has reportedly signed a contract with a Russian patient named Valery Spiridinov. If his surgery is successful, he will carry out his first contract.

According to PLO