33-year-old Valerys suffers from a muscle wasting condition, Werdnig-Hoffman disease, and has volunteered to be the first human to undergo a head transplant…
No Quality Of Life
Valery suffers from a debilitating, muscle-wasting disease called Werdnig-Hoffmann disease. It destroys all the muscles and nerves in the brain and spinal cord, leaving him permanently wheelchair bound…
No Other Choice
Feeling he had no other choice outside of watching his body waste away before his eyes, Valery volunteered to participate in Dr. Sergio Canavero’s trial head transplant surgery. What the surgery involved is (literally) mind blowing…
The Specifics Of The Procedure
Dr. Canavero estimated that the surgery would cost $100 million and involve several dozen surgeons and specialists. The donor would be the body of a healthy, brain-dead patient who matched the build of the recipient’s disease-free head. Valery is a perfect match…
An 36 Hour Surgery
Canavero would simultaneously sever the spinal cords of the donor and recipient with a diamond blade. Then, to preserve Valery’s brain, the head would be cooled to a state of deep hypothermia before attachment…
The Risks Are Unimaginable
The scariest part of the procedure, aside from the actual head transplant, is the fact that Dr. Canavero has no idea what will happen to the state of Valyery’s mind…
A New Level of Insanity
There’s no telling what the transplant – and the new connections and foreign chemicals that his head and brain would have to suddenly deal with – might to do Valery’s psyche. He could experience a new level and quality of insanity that doctors have never seen before…
Condemned By The Medical Community
This entire concept should be familiar. The Frankenstein-esque procedure has been condemned by the medical community, even though Canavero has proof via animal testing that the head transplant will be successful…
Is He Crazy?
The feedback to Canavero’s proposed surgery has been overwhelmingly negative. “I would not wish this on anyone,” said Dr. Hunt Batjer, president elect of the American Association for Neurological Surgeons. “I would not allow anyone to do it to me as there are a lot of things worse than death.”
Different Ethical Standards
Canavero would perform the surgery in China. “The first heart transplant, hand transplant, facial transplant: all were met with serious reservations. There are also regulatory concerns. China does not have the same ethical standards and requirements that the United States and Europe have.”
Valery Is Now a Husband and a Father
In a miraculous turn of events, Valery met computer expert Anastasia Panfilova through work, and they instantly fell in love. They are now married and have a five-month-old son…
The Risks Didn’t Seem Worth It Anymore
“I cannot leave them without my attention, even for a few months,” he said of the time he would be away from his family if he were to go through with the surgery…
His Condition Seems Stable
“I cannot wait for surgery forever and my condition seems stable,” Valery said. “I’m happy to say I’m married and I have a beautiful kid now and I’m in charge of my own company.” It seems the pros finally outweigh the cons of Valery’s situation…
What About Dr. Canavero?
Despite the setback, Dr. Canavero claims to have a long list of volunteers who are still willing to partake in the head transplant surgery…
Success, But At What Cost
While Dr. Canavero successfully completed a head transplant on a corpse, how will he know what will happen when he performs the surgery on a living person? Is he aware of the risks? Specialists have argued whether or not he truly cares. Sounds very Frankenstein-esque to me…
Valery’s Last Minute Decision
After much deliberation, Valery backed out of the procedure. Even though he’d been insistent on following through with it and receiving a new body, some major life changes took place and influenced his decision…
This Is Not The First Insane Surgery
While a head transplant is probably the most bizarre surgery ever attempted, Dr. Cavanero is not the first surgeon to suggest unthinkable procedures…
Eye Implants To Change Your Iris Color
A company called BrightOcular has developed artificial iris implants made of a thin, flexible, silicone that can be folded and inserted into the eye to cover iris-related abnormalties. They also change eye color for cosmetic purposes.
Beard Transplants
The first facial hair transplant was pioneered in 1996, and it’s become more and more popular since then. Follicles are harvested from other parts of the body and jabbed into the face. Ouch?
Never Ending Eyelash Implants
Hair follicles can be transplanted anywhere. Like really anywhere. The hair keeps growing and growing, so the eyelashes have to be curled and trimmed.
Palm Line Alterations To Change Your Fate
Palm reading and celestial vibes are all the rage right now, and you can cosmetically alter your palm lines to change your fate. But does it work?
“Pokertox”
Apparently, there is such a surgery to give the wearer a permanent “poker face,” based on Lady Gaga’s iconic music video. You will never show any emotion ever again.
Prosthetic Testicles… For Your Pets
Pet owners who feel guilty about giving their dog the old snip snip can get fake testicles for them. Apparently over half a million pet owners have done this.
Spock Ears
Also called “elfing,” the process of making ears all pointy via slicing the tops is common in the body mod community.
Tongue Splitting
Tongue bifurcation is when the tongue is split down the middle, creating a snake-like forking of the muscle. Uhhhh.
East Asian Double Eyelid Surgery
The skin around the eye is reshaped to create an upper eyelid with a crease from an eyelid that is naturally without a crease. It’s the most common procedure in Taiwan and South Korea, where western celebrity culture has become deeply ingrained.
Voice Lifts
In order to fix wavering, weak voices, the neck is carefully sliced open and the vocal chords are messed with via implants and injections to produce a voice you can be proud of.
Growing A Nose Somewhere It Doesn’t Belong
During a process called “prelamination,” tissue is constructed in multiple layers: the skin on the outside, cartilage, and the soft lining inside. Then the finished reconstructed tissue is transplanted to the correct area.
Fake Dimples
If you were born with natural dimples, there’s a whole crowd of people who have always been jealous of you. Easy fix? A tiny suture on the inside of the cheek to create the illusion of a dimple when the person smiles.
Bellybutton Reconstruction
The technical term is “umbilicoplasty,” and it’s the process of slicing away the protruding bit of the naval, leaving it looking like a different kind of bellybutton.
Growing Ears In Arms
Cartilage can be taken from a person’s ribs, crafted into an ear shape, covered in skin, and pinned to the side of the face. It’s a great procedure for people who have lost ears or were born without them.