Man volunteers for world first head transplant operation - Polidicks

[quote]re-attach the spinal chords using a substance called polyethylene glycol.[/quote] Wouldn't it have been simpler to try treating paralyzed people first? Is the idea that, if executed perfectly, the head-transplant patient will be able to control all the body's muscles?

I wonder if transplants such as these could make people live to incredible ages. For instance, if you're given a body that's decades younger than yours.

I don't think this whole head transplant thing will take off, however, it could improve our understanding of the body. If someone is paralysed in the future, I can't imagine we'll still be swapping their bodies. We'll end up learning how to fix that particular problem itself from our knowledge of doing some of these head transplants.

[QUOTE=Sableye;47495727]The medical problem though is you have to kill one person to save another, even if they are brain dead their body is not going to be in good shape at all and there's tons of laws protecting them, a simple organ donor card isn't going to cover this I bet[/QUOTE] Do you not know what brain dead means? [editline]11th April 2015[/editline] [QUOTE=Impact1986;47496366]So if this works, transgender people would finally get the body they want including the right genitals and passing perfectly[/QUOTE] I honestly doubt most of them would opt to have their head removed from their body. It's not it will be perfected overnight anyway.

[QUOTE=SpaceGhost;47499361]I honestly doubt most of them would opt to have their head removed from their body. It's not it will be perfected overnight anyway.[/QUOTE] Honestly Impact's post is pretty silly. At least with me, not having been born as I would've liked is a pretty big part of who I am.

[QUOTE=antianan;47498250]Yeah. With his white head that would look super cool.[/QUOTE] Yes but he'd be able to slap you out with his monster dong and then slam dunk his way home. Jokes on you.

[QUOTE=Mr. Agree;47499323]I don't think this whole head transplant thing will take off, [/QUOTE] That part is actually pretty easy.

[QUOTE=FingerSpazem;47496509]Does anyone remember those soviet experiments where they would graft dog heads onto other dogs and crazy shit like that? I'm kind of optimistic.[/QUOTE] they also only lived a few hours IIRC.

[QUOTE=antianan;47498250]Yeah. With his white head that would look super cool.[/QUOTE] The ultimate life form.

Would his head reject the new body/vice versa?

[QUOTE=arbio22;47500816]Would his head reject the new body/vice versa?[/QUOTE] It would, he'd be on immunosuppressants for the rest of his life.

[QUOTE=zombini;47500879]It would, he'd be on immunosuppressants for the rest of his life.[/QUOTE] Hey it's a worthy trade-off considering how he'd be able to walk and be autonomous

So theoretically, if the transplant DID work, would he have to get used to a different voice as well as the different body?

Imagine going to sleep, waiting for the surgery, and waking up to a body that [I]isn't yours.[/I] Feeling things that someone else felt in that body. It's really hard to think about how that would feel...

[QUOTE=TheDrunkenOne;47500897]Hey it's a worthy trade-off considering how he'd be able to walk and be autonomous[/QUOTE] Also not dying, which is always preferable

[QUOTE=TheCreeper;47497935]What if decides that in the future he wants to have children? They wont be his biologically. He will essentially be "wearing" the children's dead fathers body.[/QUOTE] Depends on who you ask really. Some people want their kids to biologically be related to them, others are just fine with them not being e.g. adopters.

[QUOTE=TheCreeper;47497935]What if decides that in the future he wants to have children? They wont be his biologically. He will essentially be "wearing" the children's dead fathers body.[/QUOTE] so basically dio?

[QUOTE=OvB;47495839]It's not like they're going to harvest brain-dead people. There will probably be a list of people looking for a new body, and doctors will ask the families of people who have no chance to live that their loved ones body has a real chance to change someone's life for the better and if they want to donate it after pulling the plug. The hardest part would probably be keeping the donor body viable while the patient is flown in and prepped for the procedure.[/QUOTE] I think the hardest part would really be the after math. With a new body comes a new physical identity for said person.. any criminal record or ID's would have to be changed or updated and just the fucking fact that the family has to deal with the fact their "dead" family members body is walking around as a entirely other person is just fucked up! imagine that, dad dies, brain transplant, you see your dad walking around yet its not your dad its someone else inside his skin.

How do they get around the fact that the brain is hardwired for his EXACT body. The electrical signals, hormones, etc. will all be completely different. I doubt he'll be able to function in any way.

[QUOTE=antianan;47498250]Yeah. With his white head that would look super cool.[/QUOTE] [IMG]http://i.imgur.com/bxZNb97.jpg[/IMG]

[QUOTE=CAPT Opp4;47497693]This all sounds super optimistic, and I agree that literally ANYTHING at all going right in this operation can and will be counted as a significant breakthrough in the field -- but I don't quite understand the extent to which this can actually work. If the plan is to attach it to another body, wouldn't there be a significant likelihood of his brain's nervous network rejecting the body, or vise-versa? How could they route it through properly? And how would they get his brain a supply of steady useable oxygen during the procedure so that he doesn't die? There's no way it's simple as a pump -- I thought the circulatory system had to be fully intact for oxygen to be completely delivered to the brain. How would they be able to keep him alive once that's severed? [editline]10th April 2015[/editline] There are a lot of 'what-if's behind this, I suppose. Another reason this guy is probably one of the bravest people alive.[/QUOTE] the brain cannot be targeted by the immune system. [editline]11th April 2015[/editline] [QUOTE=BlueChihuahua;47499133]Wouldn't it have been simpler to try treating paralyzed people first? Is the idea that, if executed perfectly, the head-transplant patient will be able to control all the body's muscles?[/QUOTE] no, the polyethylene glycol is to promote re-attaching and prevent damage. It's about not letting his spine get damaged and form scar tissue. You can't fix an already damaged spinal column. [editline]11th April 2015[/editline] [QUOTE=geel9;47501973]How do they get around the fact that the brain is hardwired for his EXACT body. The electrical signals, hormones, etc. will all be completely different. I doubt he'll be able to function in any way.[/QUOTE] simple, by examining the fact that your statement is unfounded and not likely true. There's a reason every nerve in the body has a name, because they're the same for everybody.

[QUOTE=geel9;47501973]How do they get around the fact that the brain is hardwired for his EXACT body. The electrical signals, hormones, etc. will all be completely different. I doubt he'll be able to function in any way.[/QUOTE] The same way a heart transplant still knows how to beat, human bodies are largely identical.

[QUOTE=CaptainObvious1;47498891]I was reading an article about this and apparently there's a chance that the new body that his head would be attached could cause him to experience an extreme amount of insanity due to the fact that the body chemistry would be completely different or some shit.[/QUOTE] Yeah, apparently we have no idea how his brain will react to all the new shit and he could suffer a "fate worse than death" [url]http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/man-undergoing-head-transplant-could-experience-something-a-lot-worse-than-death-says-neurological-expert-10164423.html[/url]

Man, imagine you look down your body and the penis isn't yours, even the pubic hair.

This whole operation sounds like science-fiction, if they manage to successfully do this then..well..woaw

[QUOTE=Mr.Brown;47504669]Man, imagine you look down your body and the penis isn't yours, even the pubic hair.[/QUOTE] Well considering his situation looking down would already be a huge improvement. I mean shit he wouldn't even know if his penis is bigger or smaller now.

[QUOTE=smurfy;47504518]Yeah, apparently we have no idea how his brain will react to all the new shit and he could suffer a "fate worse than death" [url]http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/man-undergoing-head-transplant-could-experience-something-a-lot-worse-than-death-says-neurological-expert-10164423.html[/url][/QUOTE] Or this [IMG]http://i.imgur.com/uAHkRQs.gif[/IMG]

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNtTlyWl_oI[/media]

[QUOTE=Tmaxx;47501339]Imagine going to sleep, waiting for the surgery, and waking up to a body that [I]isn't yours.[/I] Feeling things that someone else felt in that body. It's really hard to think about how that would feel...[/QUOTE] I'd just think about how I've suddenly got a different dick

[QUOTE=Mr.Brown;47504669]Man, imagine you look down your body and the penis isn't yours, even the pubic hair.[/QUOTE] Would that make you gay if you touched your new penis?