- In 2017, the Italian neurosurgeon Sergio Canavero assured that he had the knowledge and skills to achieve the first head transplant in history.
- The volunteer patient to achieve this unprecedented event was the Russian Valeri Spiridonov, who suffers from spinal muscular atrophy and wanted to have a new body that could move.
- Although the surgery was canceled at the request of the International Bioethics Committees, now a Mexican doctor assures that interventions of this type have already been carried out in the city of Harbin in China.
In order to innovate in Medicine, it is necessary to carry out experiments and follow a strict process of clinical studies. This is a mandatory path that must be followed and is applied in areas such as drug development. The same thing happens in surgeries and now a controversy has broken out over the case of the first head transplant in history. The news is not new but what is new is that this intervention would have already been done but without notifying the international authorities.
A century of organ transplants
According to the medical literature, in 1906 Dr. Mathieu Jaboulay achieved the first transplant in a human being. It consisted of a kidney graft from a pig that was implanted in the left elbow of a 50-year-old woman with end-stage renal failure. At that time it was a revolutionary intervention that paved the way for everything that would come after.
One of the first barriers was the rejection of organs by the immune system. From then on, the technique of organ donation and transplantation has been perfected until it reaches the present day.
Current panorama in Mexico
Just to get an idea of the positive impact, During 2021, the Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS) performed 1,791 organ and tissue transplants. The most common are kidney, cornea and bone marrow. All have been useful to prevent deaths and improve the quality of life of patients.
The neurosurgeon who wants to do the first head transplant in history
Despite various medical advances, something that seems impossible is achieving the first head transplant in history. It sounds like the story of a horror movie but in 2017 the Italian neurosurgeon Sergio Canavero He became famous for claiming that he could do it. Even many of his detractors began to call him dr frankenstein for your idea.
In fact, the specialist said that he had already done successful experiments on mice and now his next step was to make the first attempt in humans. After a long search he finally found the ideal patient to make history. It is about the young Valery Spiridonovwho is originally from Russia and suffers from spinal muscular atrophy.
Everything was ready to materialize but suddenly the plans stopped and since then there has been no information. But now the case of the first head transplant in history has been taken up by Dr. Víctor Encina, who is resident of Traumatology and Orthopedics and creator of digital content.
To date, he is the doctor with the YouTube channel that accumulates the most followers in Latin America thanks to the impressive figure of 2.24 million. Its content is mainly based on technology and the relationship it has with the field of health.
His most recent video is a story time of the time he was able to interview Valeri and everything that has happened with the case of the first head transplant in history.
What if everything already happened in secret?
To begin with, mention that From the end of the Second World War, the world’s bioethics committees tightened the rules regarding medical experiments on humans because of what was done by the Nazis. To avoid repeating past mistakes, it was agreed to ban this type of practice and it was precisely one of the barriers that prevented Dr. Canavero from realizing his idea.
However, due to his firm intention, he had to resort to a country that had a hermetic government and sufficient financial capacity. The chosen option was China and, although he cannot say so, Dr. Encina assures that the The first head transplant in history has already been performed.
Based on the little information available, it is estimated that in the city of harbin There is a hospital where this unprecedented intervention was carried out. In addition, not only one but several transplants of this type would have been carried out. Although thanks to the support of the government of that eastern nation, everything has been kept secret.
If anything is known, it is that there are no limits in Medicine, although the case of first head transplant in history still remains unknown. For now we share the video with the story of this fact that makes you reflect on the true power that doctors have.
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