Jump to content
Join the Unexplained Mysteries community today! It's free and setting up an account only takes a moment.
- Sign In or Create Account -

Human head transplant to take place in China


UM-Bot

Recommended Posts

 

"If the procedure doesn't work, the patient could end up dead or worse," or worse? That sounds like they would try to keep the head alive if the body doesn't make it through the 36 hour surgery. Creepy on so many levels.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Quote

Now though, for reasons that remain unclear, the surgery will no longer involve Spiridonov at all and will instead be performed on a patient from China. The operation will be carried out by a special team led by Dr. Ren Xiaoping at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University.

Well that's a turn up after all the publicity around Valery Spiridonov being the first patient, I wonder why the change. They don't give much away about the new patient, very secretive. I suppose this way if the surgery goes terribly wrong they can keep it more under wraps afterwards. I think what they're planning is a mad idea. A human head transplant is going way too far, but if it does go according to plan then I hope the new patient from China is happy with the result. He/she must want it real bad to even agree to something like this.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

When one considers that a somewhat routine heart transplant does not reconnect the vagus nerve, thus making the heart not responsive to sympathetic stimulation, the idea of a transplanting a head to a fully severed nerve bundle becomes rather disturbing. One has to wonder if Mr Spiridonov came to the conclusion that it was perhaps better to change his beliefs and attitude than attempting a far more perilous change of situation.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

what is worse than death???

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 minutes ago, FateAmeniableToChange said:

what is worse than death???

Being trapped in an inter-dimensional time-loop?

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

52 minutes ago, FateAmeniableToChange said:

what is worse than death???

Reality TV?

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

...what about transplanting a human head on to a Chihuahua-now that would be impressive:rofl:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Its all about informed consent when it comes to these procedures. I think as soon as you fully inform the people involved of the consequences and they agree to have the procedure then the onus is on them not the surgeons etc. As long as the surgeons etc. have not in anyway deceived the patients.

I hate it when scientists nilly willy do it to smaller species... I am positive there was no informed consent there which is morally and ethically wrong.

I for one hope that it works. It would bring in a new day in science and understanding of our bodies etc. not to mention surgical techniques. My only concern, the elite hit 90 years old, grab an unwilling donor and have the operation done.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Although part of me considers this operation as just downright wrong, I'm excited to see how it turns out and if it will benefit us in the future.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Can't wait til December to see if this works. I can't say if this is right or wrong nor do I want to lose my head over the ethics behind the procedure but how long after til we can put our heads on a robot body??? 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

It won't work.  I can't even imagine why they're attempting this.  This is reckless and completely unethical.  If they manage to even partially pull this off the result will be another coma patient kept alive by machines but I doubt they will even be that successful.  I'm all for science and advancement but this is just wrong.  I would even put forth that this is tantamount to a human rights violation.  How does a rational individual consent to having their head removed so someone else can occupy their body?  I assume it has to be a living body for this to work.  One with a working head already. 

 

Edited by Totah Dine
Link to comment
Share on other sites

This procedure would take forever if it's actually expected to produce acceptable results and I suppose acceptable for the first go-round would be that the patient doesn't die on the operating table.

Meanwhile GEMINI contractors are working hard to supply headless corpses from Saudi vendors for people who deserve to keep their heads attached to bodies.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I dont think ethics should have anything to do with anything. Ethics just hold up progress, ethics are just religious bs.. we are the borg etc, I say just do it, nuts to any gods out there.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 4/5/2017 at 6:51 PM, P.Nomenon said:

Can't wait til December to see if this works. I can't say if this is right or wrong nor do I want to lose my head over the ethics behind the procedure but how long after til we can put our heads on a robot body??? 

No worries, if they are successful they'll be able to stich it back! 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm curious what they really expect to achieve. 

The head transplant per se is not so important to me, the GEMINI procedure is. 

If they really manage to reattach the nervous system, that will be a game changer. 

That would mean no more paralised people due to accidents. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yeah, I'm on the fence with this one.  I don't know if it's right or wrong - perhaps someone better informed can explain both sides - however I do hope they are successful.  I honestly don't think it will be though.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thats cool, i hope they are successful, but when this guy wakes up whos memeorys dows he have ???

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 05/05/2017 at 5:41 PM, Aten said:

I dont think ethics should have anything to do with anything. Ethics just hold up progress, ethics are just religious bs.. we are the borg etc, I say just do it, nuts to any gods out there.

Medical ethics go way beyond religion.

If there were no lines drawn on acceptable practices, you'd have desperate people open to all sorts of aberrant exploitation at the hands of corporate money.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 5.5.2017 at 6:41 PM, Aten said:

I dont think ethics should have anything to do with anything. Ethics just hold up progress, ethics are just religious bs.. we are the borg etc, I say just do it, nuts to any gods out there.

Ethics are not religious. They are philosophical, and part of what makes us human. 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Complete load of horse manure.  If they could reconnect spinal chords they would already be surgically repairing quadriplegic people.  I don't know what the point of this hype is but it's obviously not true.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 5/4/2017 at 5:53 PM, Totah Dine said:

It won't work.  I can't even imagine why they're attempting this.  This is reckless and completely unethical.  If they manage to even partially pull this off the result will be another coma patient kept alive by machines but I doubt they will even be that successful.  I'm all for science and advancement but this is just wrong.  I would even put forth that this is tantamount to a human rights violation.  How does a rational individual consent to having their head removed so someone else can occupy their body?  I assume it has to be a living body for this to work.  One with a working head already. 

 

I'm reminded of Heinlein's "I Will Fear No Evil", and of how many rich people are around. Just as the bell curve exists everywhere (kind of scary to realize that half of all doctors are below average, haha), there are a lot of rich whack jobs out there as well who might spare no expense at the chance of longevity. Since the Chinese are known to be "liberal" with their use of prisoner parts and pieces, this would seem to be the logical venue for a person of means to invest in such a venture.

http://www.cnn.com/2016/06/23/asia/china-organ-harvesting/

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.