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Don't lose your head over this. — Parallax Forums

Don't lose your head over this.

xanaduxanadu Posts: 3,347
edited 2015-04-14 06:38 in General Discussion
It appears as though someone's head will be transplanted onto another body!

http://www.sciencealert.com/world-s-first-head-transplant-volunteer-could-experience-something-worse-than-death

Comments

  • rod1963rod1963 Posts: 752
    edited 2015-04-10 09:30
    Thoroughly nightmarish. As one doctor and critic of the scheme stated, "there are things worse than death" and this being on of them.
  • Heater.Heater. Posts: 21,230
    edited 2015-04-10 11:20
    I hate to be crude but some years ago, over there in South Africa, they did the worlds first [redacted -- Phil].
    They had to "undo" that operation due to the adverse psychological reaction of the poor guy involved.

    Well, I pretty much hate waking up in my body every morning, but I'm very sure waking up in somebody else's body would be much worse.

    But hey, if my old body is good for your head when I'm dead you are welcome.


    Edit: The was noting actually crude about the redacted words above. Seems the are some medical procedures that are off limits for discussion here. Fair enough, off topic perhaps.
  • prof_brainoprof_braino Posts: 4,313
    edited 2015-04-10 11:33
    I don't know about nightmarish. I have a friend in a wheelchair that could stand having her spine re-connected.
  • Dave HeinDave Hein Posts: 6,347
    edited 2015-04-10 11:43
    I heard about this head transplant (or is it a body transplant?) idea several weeks ago, and one of the major obstacles is connecting the spinal cord. I don't think this has ever been done even in spinal cord injuries. It seems like the transplanted body would be nothing more than a heart-lung machine for the transplanted head. And even then, it will probably need machine assistance to keep it alive. I didn't watch the TED video, so maybe there's some major breakthrough revealed there.

    EDIT: I watched the video, and maybe there is some hope. Maybe the surgical cut idea can be applied to spinal injuries by removing a vertabrae or two, and removing the damaged portion of the cord.
  • rod1963rod1963 Posts: 752
    edited 2015-04-10 12:14
    Prof Braino,

    He's not reconnecting the spine, we don't have the surgical knowledge and skill to pull that off. The new body as Dave Hein wrote will serve as a heart-lung machine.

    If repairing the spine was possible they certainly wouldn't use this poor soul as a test case.
  • KMyersKMyers Posts: 433
    edited 2015-04-10 16:02
    Still gives me hope to walk again some day.

    Thanks for posting..
  • NWCCTVNWCCTV Posts: 3,629
    edited 2015-04-10 16:23
    It is definitely a step in the right direction. I don't think he is trying to be Frankensteinish but more so trying to see if it can be done. If he succeeds imagine all of the possibilities for those with disabilities, diseases, etc.
  • GordonMcCombGordonMcComb Posts: 3,366
    edited 2015-04-11 18:18
    Well, he says of the doctor who lost his friend to cancer, the doctor dreamed of transplanting his friend's "healthy head" onto a "healthy donor body." The second part of that equation is where the real difficulty lies. Who is willing to donate their healthy body?

    Seems to me there is a surplus of heads, and not enough bodies to go around. Sadly, it's a bad Robin Cook novel all over again.
  • frank freedmanfrank freedman Posts: 1,983
    edited 2015-04-11 20:11
    Well, if the intention is to keep the head going until further things can be developed, may be why someone would take this chance. Depending on where and how the head is removed, the face and mouth may still work. If the big pieces still work and the brain does not get damaged by lack of blood flow and rejection does not kill them, and , and,,,,,,,,, the best that could be hoped for would be to live further as a quadruplegic. I just don't see the breakthrough for rejoining the spinal cord correctly especially in two different people. Can't even do this with the same cord in one person. Not for me, when it's time to go, it's time to go..........
  • TtailspinTtailspin Posts: 1,326
    edited 2015-04-11 21:59
    But, but,..Hasn't this already been done?...>>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Man_with_Two_Brains<<
  • MrBi11MrBi11 Posts: 117
    edited 2015-04-13 20:55
    Or if there is a lack of bodies. just keep the head alive in a jar, haven't you ever seen futurama?
  • frank freedmanfrank freedman Posts: 1,983
    edited 2015-04-13 23:02
    Wasn't that an Outer Limits episode way back when??
  • prof_brainoprof_braino Posts: 4,313
    edited 2015-04-14 06:38
    rod1963 wrote: »
    not reconnecting the spine, we don't have the surgical knowledge and skill to pull that off. The new body as Dave Hein wrote will serve as a heart-lung machine.

    If repairing the spine was possible they certainly wouldn't use this poor soul as a test case.

    The TED video started talking about head transplant, and went on to talk about repairing the spine. The short range secondary fibers thing.

    A Quad in a wheel chair is already the heart lung machine you talk about, I do believe he's talking about an upgrade.
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