A leading NHS neurosurgeon said a complete human head transplant could occur within the next ten years.
If the very idea of transplanting a head from a living person onto a donor's body may seem as incredible as it is terrifying, it is because - at least for now - it is.
A few years ago, neurosurgeon Sergio Canavero caused a lot of controversy after plans were made to transplant the head of Russian computer scientist Valery Spiridonov, who suffered from muscle wasting called Werdnig-Hoffmann disease, onto a donor body.
While the procedure ultimately did not take place, the story brought the idea of a human head transplant to immense popularity.
But how plausible is it to transplant the head of one person onto the body of another?
Not only can this be done, but there is a very real possibility that such a procedure could be performed within ten years, according to lead NHS neurosurgeon Bruce Matthew.
While helping to write a new science fiction novel, Matthew realized that the key to successfully performing such an operation would be a spinal cord transplant with a head.
- The spinal cord is the most important thing you can imagine. You need to keep the brain connected to the spinal cord. The very idea that you will cut a split spinal cord is completely ridiculous.
Promotional video:
“The idea of a head transplant has always been downright daunting, but now with modern technology you can do most things, and this will soon be real,” says Matthew.
Ensuring that the new body integrates successfully with the head and spine, however, can be a major challenge.
“I mean there are huge problems, but it’s possible,” he said.