Head Transplants, Should We Commit?

Early+rough+sketches%2C+Anonymous.

© White et al. 1971

Early rough sketches, Anonymous.

Aumonique Jaramillo

Scientists wants to do what? “After 14 head transplant on rats, a pair of scientists say that they will attempt a human head transplant in the next 10 months in China.” as said by Eva Hershaw on Seeker back in May. How? Wouldn’t any injury or any adjustments to the spinal cord result in permanent effects? Well scientists, Xiao-Ping Ren and Sergio Canavero, with the past 14 rat experiments, have found a way to reconnect the spinal tissue in the safest way possible known for the moment after removing a head. The treatment would need to take the two bodies and cool them down to maintain the circular blood flow. Then all major blood vessels of the neck in each body will be dissected. One of the heads will be transplanted to another and be connected. Then scientists will fuse the neuronal cords together and sow all the muscles together. The new patient will be in a coma for several weeks for recovery. Electrode pumps will be in the neck to help encourage the fuse of spinal cord. With all of these steps being the case, who will the person be when he/she wakes up? Scientists haven’t released any info regarding the identity after the transplant. Dating back to the 14 experiments of rat head transplants, there has been no recorded obvious abnormalities. This case can help save millions of patients, but who would be willing to do the procedure? Should we even commit to such a task?