Man’s head cut off in world’s first successful head transplant
PHOTO: www.nigerianeye.com
A 36-year-old man has undergone the world’s first successful head transplant. The groundbreaking operation took a team of surgeons 19 hours to complete and has allowed the patient to be cancer-free.
Paul Horner, who was diagnosed with bone cancer five years ago, was on the verge of death when he was approved for the controversial and possibly deadly operation.
Doctor Tom Downey, who was part of the South African team who carried out the operation, told CNN he is thrilled about the results. “It’s a massive breakthrough. We’ve proved that it can be done – we can give someone a brand new body that is just as good, or better, than their previous one.
The success of this operation leads to infinite possibilities.”
Surgeons at Charlotte Maxexe Johannesburg Academic Hospital in SA did the operation in February but had to wait until they could confirm it was successful before they made any public statement.
Downey spoke to reporters on the complexity behind the first ever head transplant. “This procedure is another excellent example of how medical research, technical know-how and patient-centered care can be combined in the quest to relieve human suffering.”
The operation was led by Professor Myron Danus and took place on February 10, 2015.
“Our goal is for Horner to be fully functional in two years and so far we are very pleased by his rapid recovery,” said prof. Danus.
He added, “Before the operation, Horner’s body was riddled with cancer and he had less than a month to live.
We were fortunate enough to find a donor body; a 21-year-old man who has been brain dead from a serious car accident that happened in 2012.
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10 Comments
What did they do with the spinal cord? In a head transplant you have to cut the spinal cord and that is where they lost me.
This even real? No other news outlets reporting about it. Everyone else’s talking about taht 2017 one by a different doctor.
Okay, I saw this shows up as “satire” in my Google alert email. I don’t find it funny at all. It’s more like an April fools joke. Other than the title everything is made to sound believable rather than satirical. Ah, here we go: It’s basically a re-run of a mass email. https://www.snopes.com/media/notnews/headtransplant.asp
LIE!!!!! Nigerian News Agencies should really stop posting invalid news! GUARDIAN, YOU ARE HARMING OUR SOCIETY!
But this story is true o try and google it
I would be very glad to withdraw my comment if you can reply me with a link to a verifiable source.
He has none because there is none.
Not true. Far from it.
I cannot believe The Guardian cannot properly fact check before posting a hoax as news! Shame shame shame on you!
It is a shame on you at Nigerian Guardian that you do not care about investigative Journalism and you feed millions of poor Nigerians with false news. And I am very sad because Guardian is among the Newspapers I earnestly hope would revolutionize Nigeria journalism. I am loosing hope now.
Here is the simple timeline.
—- In 1960, Dr Robert White successfully transplanted the head of one monkey onto the body of another. That was archived somewhere in the link. https://io9.com/5856747/a-short-film-about-the-monkey-head-transplant-experiment-of-the-1960s
—- In 2013, Dr Sergio Canavaro of the Turin Advanced Neuromodulation Group published a fundamental paper where he outlines a procedure for human head transplant is possible. He had essentially build the model on some success part of Dr Robert White. https://surgicalneurologyint.com/surgicalint_articles/heaven-the-head-anastomosis-venture-project-outline-for-the-first-human-head-transplantation-with-spinal-linkage-gemini/
In February 2015, New Scientist reported that head transplant would be possible very soon as Dr Canavaro may get a donor and grant for such operation soon. https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg22530103.700-first-human-head-transplant-could-happen-in-two-years?
In April 2015, Dr Canavaro announcesd he is to perform the world’s first head transplant surgery. Mr Valery Spiridonov is the head donor. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3029376/Russian-volunteer-head-transplant-operation-Valery-Spiridonov-says-no-choice-undergo-7-5million-procedure-controversial-Italian-surgeon-Dr-Sergio-Canavero.html
Dr Canavaro had in January presented at TEDxLimassol some idea in the process. The whole operation will cost about $13 million https://youtu.be/_EHCHv5u3O4
Later in June, There was an analysis on CNN, as to how that would be possible. https://edition.cnn.com/2015/04/03/health/italian-neurosurgeon-says-human-head-transplant-will-happen-in-two-years/ . In the analysis, Dr Canavaro was set to present the complete idea to the Academy of Neurological and Orthopedic Surgeons in the united state. There, he hope to find complete team and lab support towards his the 2017 grand plan.
In July, there was an hoax spread around that there was a successful human head transplant in South Africa on February 10 according as a website called “Controversial . net”. The alleged patient, 36-year-old Paul Horner, had one month to live due to his bone cancer diagnosed in 2010 when the 19-hour surgery was performed at the Charlotte Maxexe Johannesburg Academic Hospital in the country’s capital city. https://www.thecontroversialfiles.net/2015/04/worlds-first-head-transplant-success.html . That was where the report you shared spread from.
On July 13, we understood it was all a hoax from South Africa https://www.ibtimes.com.au/hoax-alert-south-africa-didnt-beat-italy-performing-worlds-1st-successful-head-transplant-surgery
In September, the head transplant team of Dr Canavaro was finally selected. Transplant will happen in China, with some worrying that the donor body could be taken from an executed prisoner. https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/head-transplant-team-selected-for-controversial-operation-that-will-go-ahead-in-2017-10498627.html
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