Valery Spiridonov found an alternative to a head transplant. The surgeon refused a Russian patient for a head transplant. Was Valery Spiridonov's head transplanted?

Valery Spiridonov was a candidate for a head transplant.

A neurosurgeon from Italy, Sergio Canavero, made an unexpected, sensational statement a couple of years ago, announcing his readiness to implement unique operation, which will be aimed at human head transplantation. Most likely, his patient will be Russian programmer V. Spiridonov, who has suffered from an incurable, rare genetic disease associated with muscle atrophy since birth.

Sensational statement by an Italian transplant surgeon

Operations related to transplantation various organs(liver, kidneys, even heart), although very complex, are already quite familiar and understandable to modern doctors. But no surgeon has ever performed a head transplant. When the Italian surgeon S. Canavero announced his intention to soon perform such an operation, a considerable number of people appeared who wanted to become his patients. The Italian surgeon's statement created a real sensation. A whole line of people lined up to him, expressing a desire to receive new bodies.

Sergio Canavero's words caused a strong reaction in the journalistic community. Some journalists took the side of the Italian surgeon and said that he is advancing modern medicine, trying to bring it to a fundamental level. new level. Others accused the doctor of quackery and said that his words were ordinary PR, an attempt to attract attention.

Valery Spiridonov is one of the potential patients

Among the potential patients of the Italian surgeon was Vadim Spiridonov, a thirty-year-old Russian programmer scientist suffering from intractable congenital disease. Valery Spiridonov's disease (Werding-Hoffmann muscle atrophy) is genetic in nature. Today medicine is not able to cure this disease with drugs or other known methods. The only hope for Valery to become healthy is a head transplant. Of course, the young programmer is scared by the thought of the upcoming operation, because no doctor has ever done it before. However, this is his only chance to heal. full life, so he is ready to use it. Without this operation, Valery will not be able to live long - his condition is constantly deteriorating, so without surgical intervention, the disease may soon completely destroy him.

Valery Spiridonov: the main thing is a positive attitude and faith in the best

Despite the dangerous serious disease, Valery Spiridonov has always led and continues to lead very active life. Valery's father was a military man and passed away quite early - when his son was only sixteen years old. He died in a car accident. His mother worked as a child psychologist. The woman specialized in psychological assistance children who find themselves in very difficult situations life situations. Being a professional child psychologist, she managed to establish relationships with her son. correct communication and help him not to lose faith in himself, in his strength, in the possibility of getting rid of a serious congenital illness. Valery has always led an active life, healthy person. He received higher education, graduating from the Faculty of Information Technology. Moreover, he began to be actively involved in public life - for example, he headed the Committee on Family and Youth Affairs.

Spiridonov prefers to have a positive attitude towards life and always hope for the best. He understands perfectly well that the operation may end unsuccessfully, but he is convinced that fears and doubts still will not improve the situation, so he drives everything away from himself. anxious thoughts. The Italian surgeon claims that a positive outcome of a surgical operation is much more likely than its unsuccessful completion. Possible ethical problems between the doctor and his patient are also not too worrying. They are going to find a donor body among victims of car accidents or criminals sentenced to capital punishment. Canavero believes that this operation has no fundamental differences from kidney, liver or heart transplantation. For a long time, such operations were also considered unethical by many, but today no one thinks so.

Preparing for the upcoming operation

It is still impossible to say exactly who will become the patient of the Italian surgeon. Spiridonov and Canavero have so far only communicated with each other via Skype. Their personal meeting is ahead. The surgeon will do a lot of medical examinations and, quite possibly, he will choose another patient, because there are enough willing ones. The doctor has not yet made a final choice, although he certainly gives his preference to Valery. In addition to selecting the patient, Sergio Canavero also develops a precise plan for the upcoming operation. It will be called “HEAVEN”, which translates as “heaven”.

Valery Spiridonov contacted the Italian surgeon a couple of years ago after seeing a message on the Internet about a surgical operation he was planning. Although a personal meeting of these people has not yet taken place, and all their communication took place via Skype, they managed to discuss the upcoming information in detail, working out all its details and nuances. Spiridonov considers Cavanero to be a very experienced and highly qualified neurosurgeon who has already performed a huge number of very complex and important surgical operations. Of course, the upcoming operation will be unique. No other person in the world has ever performed such a surgical procedure, so he has no experience. modern medicine there is no relationship in this. In its importance, this operation is comparable to space exploration. So unique surgical intervention associated with enormous risk. Valery believes that he himself can be compared with the first cosmonauts. Preliminary preparation for such an operation is extremely important. No matter how much possible outcomes No matter what the Italian doctor and his Russian patient envisaged, it is impossible to exclude the possibility of a completely unpredictable result.

Some people judge the surgeon. They believe that he is playing with the life of a sick person, using him for his medical experiments. Valery refutes this opinion and states that he is perfectly aware of everything possible risks and takes responsibility for the decision he makes. Valery's relatives and friends support him in this decision, because they understand the importance of this operation for him.

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Kidney, liver and even heart transplants are complex operations, but doctors are already familiar with them. Some time ago, the Italian Sergio Canavero announced his desire to undergo a transplant operation... of his head. Now there is a whole line of people lined up to see the Italian; one of his potential patients was our compatriot, Valery Spiridonov.

The story of Sergio Canavero, a surgeon who declared his desire and ability to perform a complete head transplant on healthy body– at one time aroused considerable interest among the press; some argued that Canavero was moving medicine forward, while others accused him of quackery and trying to attract attention to himself. Relatively recently, there was an unexpected turn in the history of the operation - the doctor had a candidate patient.

Valery Spiridonov, a computer scientist from Russia, at 30 years old, suffers from a disease that is simply impossible to cure. A head transplant, despite the fantastic nature of this procedure, remains perhaps Valery’s only hope - and that is why Spiridonov has already firmly decided that he is ready to trust Canavero, no matter what others think about this. Valery's disease is called "Werdnig-Hoffmann muscular atrophy"; Spiridonov has suffered from this disease all his life - in fact, it is genetic in nature.

Spiridonov honestly admits that the thought of an upcoming operation quite frightens him - however, the scientist also experiences a certain kind of curiosity. A significant role is played by the fact that especially

Valery, in fact, has no choice - if he does not agree to the operation, his future will be rather unpleasant and not particularly long. Spiridonov’s condition is worsening every year - and very soon the disease could completely destroy him.

Of course, it’s too early to talk about the operation - Canavero and Spiridonov even only managed to communicate via Skype; Ahead of them awaits the first personal meeting and a huge number of medical examinations. It is possible that the Italian surgeon will choose another patient - fortunately, he has many candidates. Canavero admitted that he was already literally bombarded with offers; the doctor has not yet made his final choice, although he has already decided that he will operate on the victim first muscle atrophy. In parallel with the selection of his first patient, the physician develops a precise plan for the operation; By the way, the procedure now has a rather loud name - “HEAVEN”, “heaven”. The word is short for "cephalic anastomosis"; the term "anastomosis" is usually referred to surgery by connecting two parts together, although this word is not often used in relation to the head.

Contacted Italian Copper

com Spiridonov 2 years ago, after I came across a mention of his plans on the Internet. Valery has not yet met his future surgeon personally; Communication took place by correspondence and via Skype. Over the past 2 years, the doctor and the patient managed to work through the operation in detail and discuss all the problems associated with it. Canavero made a very strong impression on Spiridonov; According to Valery, the Italian is a very experienced neurosurgeon with many complex operations under his belt. Of course, existing experience in no way changes the fact that similar procedures Canavero - or anyone else in the world - has yet to be carried out; Valery, however, is absolutely confident that he has good chances. According to Spiridon, such an operation is comparable in importance to the space race of the post-war years. This comparison quite clearly describes the possible risks; Valery, however, is fully aware of how much risk he is exposed to - and even compares himself with the first cosmonauts. As with spacewalks, advance preparation plays a huge role; Of course, even after considering 300 possible outcomes, the physician and his patient

They are unlikely to be able to insure themselves against the 301st, the unexpected.

Some claim that Canavero is playing Spiridonov, using him as a living guinea pig; Valery resolutely dissociates himself from such statements - according to him, he is fully aware of all possible risks. Valery also places responsibility for the decision made primarily on himself. Spiridonov’s relatives and friends, by the way, fully support him; perfectly understanding the risks, they also see the importance of the plan for Valery himself.

Interestingly, despite dangerous disease, Spiridonov leads a very, very active life. This has been going on since my teenage years. Mother Valeria worked as a child psychologist and specialized in helping children in rehabilitation centers and those in difficult life situations. Valery lost his father (who served in the army and rose to the rank of lieutenant colonel) in a car accident when he himself was only 16; As a result, Valery began supporting his family at a fairly early age. Higher education he received within the walls of Vladimir State University, at the Faculty of Information Technology. Parallel

with work, Spiridonov leads an intense social life - for example, he is listed as the head of the socio-political committee for youth and family affairs.

Spiridonov doesn’t particularly think about the fact that Sergio Canavero might not be able to cope with the operation - this outcome, of course, is quite possible, but unnecessary thoughts are unlikely to radically change the situation. Canavero himself insists that a positive outcome of the operation is much more likely - which, in fact, prompted him to carry out this very operation in the first place. Valeria and Sergio are not worried about possible ethical problems either; Of course, obtaining a whole body for transplantation will be fraught with certain difficulties, but donor organs have never been such an easily accessible raw material. According to Canavero, finding the body will be difficult, but not impossible - Sergio names victims of car accidents or even criminals sentenced to death as possible sources of such bodies. According to Canavero, this kind of procedure is fundamentally no different from, say, a liver, kidney or heart transplant - which, by the way, are also for a long time were considered unethical.

One of the most important reasons Why the image of the future is so attractive to us lies in the expected fantastic achievements of medicine. Immortal life thanks to the gradual replacement of worn-out physical parts - what could be better? Will the terminally ill Valery Spiridonov live to see this future (a head transplant is the only thing that can save him)? Millions of people around the world want to know this.

Head transplant: what is it?

One of the most difficult and impossible to implement this moment operations is head transplant from one body to another. Here are the key ones medical problems that interfere successful implementation transplantation:

1. As with any other organ transplant, there is a certain risk of rejection: the immune system the recipient body does not accept and destroys the transplanted tissue;
2. In addition, it is critical for the brain to have a stable blood flow to provide oxygen and nutrients. Even a slight cessation of blood supply will lead to irreversible and fatal consequences for nerve cells;
3. The issue of vital functioning has not yet been resolved important organs during the short-term existence of a body without a head. Breathing and heartbeat depend on the functioning of the brain and will not occur without it;
4. There are difficulties in “connecting” each nerve to the autonomic nervous system from spinal cord recipient organism. At possible error there is a risk of neuropathic pain.

What is Valery Spiridonov's illness?

One of the first people who may be destined to go down in the history of medicine will be the Russian programmer Valery Spiridonov. This young man suffers from a rare genetic disease that currently has no cure - spinal muscular atrophy .

List symptoms This terrible disease looks like this:

1. Hyporeflexia, or lack of basic reflexes even with strong impact. So, when hitting with a medical hammer on kneecap the expected extension of the joint does not follow;
2. General muscle weakness and reduced muscle tone. A person has significant difficulties when performing basic operations due to the inability to lift household objects;
3. Loss of respiratory muscle strength, causing babies to let out a faint cry and adults to cough. Secretions accumulate in the lungs and throat respiratory tract the secret that leads to respiratory distress(chronic difficulty breathing);
4. Involuntary local muscle contractions language;
5. Difficulties with swallowing and sucking.

Excursion into the history of the operation

Research in this extremely complex area has been ongoing for more than a hundred years:

• One of the first in the field of head transplantation was the French surgeon Alexis Carrel, who developed a connection technology that was innovative for his era. blood vessels during transplantation. Although the experiments on a dog carried out in 1908 ended badly for her (the animal had to be euthanized a few hours later), Carrel received the Nobel Prize for his scientific achievements ahead of his time;
• The next important achievement in this area was accomplished in Russia half a century later. The dogs operated on by Vladimir Demikhov lived for almost a month and were able to respond to reflexes;
• The 1950s and 60s saw the invention of drugs that suppressed the immune response. This made kidney and liver transplants a standard medical procedure;
• In 2012, scientist Xiaoping Ren published the results of a study on mouse head transplantation. The main achievement of the Chinese doctor was the life expectancy of the animal - as much as 6 months;
• The transition from animal experiments to human resin medicine only took place a few years ago.

Was Valery Spiridonov's head transplanted?

The first doctor who decided to challenge the genetic abnormality and alleviate the suffering of the unfortunate person was the Italian neurosurgeon Sergio Canavero. The attention of the whole world was focused on this luminary of medicine after 2015, when he promised to perform an operation that was previously impossible.

However, two years have passed since the sensational announcement, but things are still there:

• The closer the date of the operation, the more questions it raises. First of all, this concerns the personality of the patient who will have to give himself up as a tribute to a risky medical experiment;
• Initially, it was about Russian citizen Valery Spiridonov. However, according to the English publication The Independent, it will be a Chinese citizen;
• As the authoritative magazine Business Insider writes, a sensation is not worth a damn. Allegedly, Sergio Canavero is an advertising person for the Konami company and participated in the promotion of the game at the beginning of 2015. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain" As indirect evidence, we can consider the external resemblance to the character Evangelos Constantinou, who appeared in the game trailer.

As of fall 2017, no no reliable information that the operation was performed. And the further it goes, the less reason there is to believe that it will ever take place.

Head transplant in popular culture

The very possibility of transplanting the main human organ has occupied the minds of writers and filmmakers for decades:

1. Soviet literature was ahead of the rest in this area. The novel “The Head of Professor Dowell” (1925) made an indelible impression on his contemporaries and influenced big influence on domestic and foreign science fiction;
2. Joanie Chevalier’s novel “Heads Will Roll” (2017) is devoted to the same topic. The author positions his creation as a medical thriller. The abstract reads: " What if in the future we could choose the body we wanted?“Released at an incredibly fortunate time, the book will definitely be a stunning success;
3. The most famous works cinema on this topic: “The Brain That Wouldn't Die”, “The Incredible 2-Headed Transplant” and “The Thing” with Two Heads").

Several thousand years before the Europeans, theoretical discussions about the phenomenon were carried out in Ancient India. According to legends, the deity Ganesha was transplanted by his father with the head of an elephant.

It seemed that 2017 would go down in medical history forever. Italian physician Sergio Canavero said that he could alleviate the plight of a Russian patient, a programmer named Valery Spiridonov. Head transplants, however, have been continually delayed and are unlikely to take place in the foreseeable future. Probably, Valery’s hopes for a man-made miracle turned out to be clearly too high.

Video about the head transplant experiment

In this video, Valery Spiridonov himself will tell you how he decided to do such a thing. complex operation how the transplantation will take place and who will perform it:

Events

Valery Spiridonov will become the first person in the world to undergo a head transplant.

The procedure is scheduled for December 2017.

This was reported to Central European News by himself man.

As you know, a 30-year-old Russian was diagnosed spinal amyotrophy .

This genetic disease also known as Werding-Hoffman syndrome, sounded like a death sentence for the patient.

Valery Spiridonov's head transplant

Despite all the risks and dubious chances associated with the operation, the man, in the truest sense of the word, is ready to go under the knife.

According to the sufferer serious illness Spiridonov, when he realized that he could take part in something truly grandiose and important, he had no doubts about becoming the main character.

Spiridonov decided to work in this direction, even if the risk is quite high. A Russian programmer told CEN about this.

“The only thing I feel is a pleasant impatience, I am preparing for something very important that will change my whole life, and this something important is already starting to happen to me.” This is exactly what Spiridonov says.

Head transplant operation for Valery Spiridonov

As it became known earlier, the head transplant operation will be performed by Italian neurosurgeon Dr. Sergio Canavero(Sergio Canavero).

The operation itself is expected to last about 36 hours . According to CEN, Spiridonov's head, as well as the donor's body, will be refrigerated. This must be done to extend the time that cells can survive without oxygen.

According to Dr. Canavero's calculations, if everything goes according to plan, two years is the period required to make all the calculations and to scientifically plan all the details of this dangerous procedure.

This is not a race, says Spiridonov. Without a doubt, the operation will be performed only if the doctor and experts will be 99 percent sure of its successful outcome.

Spiridonov joked that the first thing he plans to do after the operation is to go on vacation.

But seriously, this operation is aimed at restoring the independence of people with severe disabilities. After the operation is successful, the young man dreams of seeing life in new colors and looking at the world through the eyes of a healthy person.

Strange Operations

Surgery is perhaps one of the critical areas modern medicine. Over its history, it has shown many miracles that would have seemed fantastic just a few decades ago.

Face transplant surgery

In 2007 to Pascal Coler transplanted a face from a dead person.

All his life the man suffered from an incurable disease - neurofibromatosis. Characteristic features this disease are appearing on different parts of the body benign tumors nerves.

Pascal had such a tumor on his face. This terrible defect not only spoiled appearance poor guy, but also caused inconvenience in ordinary life: Pascal could not eat, drink or appear in public normally. Due to illness, he led a reclusive life.

After the operation, the man’s life began to change. He became sociable and more active.

Surgery on an unborn child

When the expectant mother Carey McCartney was seven months pregnant, specialists, after diagnosing the fetus, discovered that he had tumor. It grew and posed a danger to the baby.

The doctors went to extreme measures: They decided to operate on the woman. For the expectant mother anesthesia was given, then from the cavity of her body the uterus was removed, they carefully removed the child from her, but not completely, leaving only the shoulders and head inside.

A programmer from Vladimir, Valery Spiridonov, may become the first person in the world to undergo a head transplant. At the end of February 2015, Italian neurosurgeon Sergio Canavero announced a plan to carry out the transplant as early as 2017. Lenta.ru talked to the Russian about why he wants to participate in the risky experiment and how realistic these plans are. We included this interview among best publications 2015. Other best materials you can see by going to .

Lenta.ru: Tell us about yourself. What didn't you like about your own body?

Spiridonov: I come from a military family. Born in Chelyabinsk. Because of my father's service, we often moved from place to place. After he retired, they returned to their homeland - Vladimir. When he was born an ordinary child. I was diagnosed a year ago. As my mother told me, I was already starting to walk. But my parents noticed that my legs began to weaken - I could not get up, and then my arms. After lengthy examinations, the doctors rendered a verdict: Werdnig-Hoffman syndrome. This is a genetic disease. Quite rare - one case per hundred thousand people. It is expressed in the fact that the patient’s muscles weaken every year. Now I cannot lift objects heavier than 200 grams, that is, heavier than a phone.

Is this an incurable disease?

Yes. At first, the parents did not believe, they consulted everywhere, looked for methods. I was taken to Moscow to see Valentin Dikul, a well-known specialist in spinal injuries. But when they realized that medicine was powerless here, they decided to act differently.

They began to develop intellectual abilities, teach me computer technologies. I graduated from school with a gold medal. And I chose a profession that allows me to work remotely.

Did you receive education remotely?

There were no such technologies then. Both at school and at the university teachers came to me. Now I am constantly engaged in remote additional self-education. I am a computer programmer. I work for two companies that develop educational and gaming software.

On your Facebook page it says that you are also involved in political life cities?

More like social. I am an assistant to the deputy on social issues in the Vladimir City Duma. I am a member of several societies for people with disabilities, raising the problems that these people face every day. For example, we monitor how pedestrian crossings and ramps are equipped.

How do you manage to maintain mobility yourself? Many disabled people say that they are forced to sit in captivity in their apartments because walking around the city is a quest for them.

I'm very sociable. I wouldn't be able to be so mobile myself. My friend helps me and the most different people. Sometimes I have to thank them financially for stopping what they were doing and working with me. For example, my neighbor cooperates with me on a daily basis for a fee.

When did you first hear about Dr. Sergio Canavero and his head transplant technology?

I have been studying this topic for a very long time for obvious reasons. I am constantly interested in new scientific developments, medicine, biology and everything that is at the intersection of these sciences. Therefore, I am aware of the experiments of the Soviet professor Vladimir Demikhov, who in the 50s tried to implant an additional head on dogs. I know about the experiments of the American Robert White on transplanting a head from one monkey body to another. But then there was a fundamental problem of splicing the neural fibers of the spinal cord. And there was no point in such operations. Because it was impossible to restore motor activity and control over the transplanted body. Today Canavero has solved this problem with the help of biogel. He himself calls his drug “bioclue.” I hope that such operations will soon cease to seem like science fiction and become part of everyday life.

Was it easy to establish contact with the luminary?

I saw my first interview with Canavero two years ago. Then he simply stated that it was possible in principle to perform such operations. I found his address Email through a computer search engine. It wasn't difficult. I wrote to him about myself. He offered to cooperate and wrote that he was ready to be a volunteer - a guinea pig. Since then we have been in close contact - texting, talking on the phone, Skype.

Do you communicate in English? Is there a language barrier?

Yes, in English. I know the language perfectly, it is almost like a native language for me. At one time I studied a lot with tutors. And the doctor, as a leading figure in science, also knows this language.

Scientists usually test new technologies in experiments on animals. Doesn't it bother you that Canavero decided to start right away with a person?

Of course, he also had experiments with animals. And, most importantly, he has successful experience in using biogel to heal a severe spinal injury to a girl who was involved in an accident in 2008.

I do not know that he performed a head transplant on an animal and the attempt was successful.

I asked him this question. He replied that it had been done. But, of course, I did not demand any proof from him. Because we all understand that a person is busy and probably has hundreds of such questions. And while preliminary negotiations are ongoing with me, it would be strange to demand something. When the issue comes to a head, and this will be around 2017, everyone will know and see about everything. This man is a luminary of science, and not some charlatan from the street. Why would he ruin his reputation with dubious projects?

Are there any other candidates besides you?

I'm sure I wasn't the only one who wrote to him. But I don't know anything about other people. I have no doubt that many, despite the risk, want their only chance of survival.

Will there be problems with the law? Not every state will allow a beheading operation, which may be viewed ambiguously by society. Have you talked to the doctor about the legal nuances?

Politicians, if they listen to us, must understand that if any country wants to be a leader in the latest technologies, medicine, biology, related industries - they must fight for this project. And provide Canavero with all the conditions for work. While we are waiting for proposals. We are open for cooperation. I know that in some countries even ordinary transplantation is prohibited. But I hope that there are people who understand the perspective of this experience. It is necessary for hundreds of thousands of people who are in even more worse condition, than me. The issue here is not even about money or legislation. Governments must realize how important this is. This is an event equal in scale to a spacewalk or landing on the moon.

Experts fear that even if the operation is successful, the patient will face a number of psychological problems. He will find himself in someone else's body, which will not be easy to accept, and his personality may change. Have you thought about this?

I'm a materialist. I don’t think about such concepts as the soul, the other world. Metaphysics is alien to me. But even if we assume that God exists, I think that he wishes good for people. As for habits, you can’t even imagine how many things I’ve had to adapt to in my life and how many times I’ve had to change my habits. I am a conservative by nature. But due to the specifics of my diagnosis, I had to reckon with a lot and get used to a lot again. And I think this will just be another step forward. Understand that to me this means freedom.

Do you care whose body it will be?

I don't have the right to choose here. My only wish is that I want it to be a man. Perhaps the donor will be a person who was in a fatal accident: the brain failed, but the rest of the organs were not damaged. Or a criminal sentenced to death.

If your candidacy is approved, how will you prepare for the operation?

A specific date for the start of preparation has not yet been set. The milestones of the operation have now been determined. We plan to meet with Canavero this summer in Illinois. There will be a conference of neurosurgeons there. I hope someone can help me get to the United States. Even though I work, traveling to another continent is still a luxury for me.
Canavero would like to see me at the conference as a guest star. He would like to discuss the project with his colleagues.

After you have stated your intention, Russian doctors Did they contact you, did you consult with anyone?

Not yet. People understand that at this stage there are few prospects for treating my illness other than what Canavero offers. Developments have been and are ongoing, but radical treatment does not exist. Therefore, our doctors are not interested in communicating with me. Common illnesses I hardly suffer. That's why I rarely go to the clinic.

How did your family react to your plans?

Mother and brother are very worried, and this is understandable. But in our family it’s a tradition to support each other in any endeavor. Especially if these things are reasonable and can bring benefits. But even if someone objected, I am a capable person and make my own decisions.

Aren't you afraid? Maybe it’s worth waiting until the technology is developed and the risks are reduced?

Of course I'm scared. But I'm already thirty years old. On average, no more than twenty people live with my disease. My health is gradually deteriorating. And still, someone has to be the first, to step into the unknown. Why not me? You can’t always shift responsibility onto someone else. Cosmonaut Gagarin was probably also embarrassed by many things, but he knew why he was doing all this. Whatever the outcome of the operation, science will have a large database. People will be able to hone this technique in the future.