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Zhai Haijun / For China Every day |
On Nov 17, Italian surgeon Sergio Canavero introduced {that a} workforce led by him and Ren Xiaoping, a professor at Harbin Medical College, had carried out the primary human head transplant on a corpse, and talked about the prospect of doing such a surgery on a residing human being. Is there even a touch of risk in his declare? Two consultants share their views on the problem with China Every day’s Zhang Zhouxiang. Excerpts comply with:
Mustn’t name it a ‘surgery’
It’s deceptive to name what Canavero and Ren have accomplished a “surgery”. “Surgical operations” are accomplished on residing human beings or animals to assist maintain life or enhance the sufferers’ bodily talents. “Transplanting” the pinnacle of 1 corpse on the physique of one other ought to extra correctly be referred to as “dissection”.
Moreover, Canavero claimed the 18-hour “operation” confirmed it’s doable to reconnect the backbone, nerves and blood vessels, with out mentioning whether or not he had succeeded in doing so on the corpse.
In apply, probably the most tough a part of transplantation isn’t in repairing blood vessels or muscle tissue, however in reconnecting the nerves and reactivating them, in order that the indicators from the mind might be transmitted via the reconnected nerves. Except there’s a breakthrough in reviving the impaired nerves, it will be irresponsible to do such an “operation”.
Canavero additionally stated it’s “imminent” that his workforce will attempt to transplant the pinnacle of a residing individual paralyzed from the neck down. In line with medical ethics and requirements, sufficient checks and trials needs to be carried out on animals earlier than attempting out a brand new surgery on a human physique. However Canavero stated he and his workforce carried out only some checks on animals. For instance, final 12 months his workforce efficiently grafted a monkey’s head on the physique of one other monkey, however Canavero has not revealed the full quantity (of such “checks”). Nor has any medical authority claimed to have given approval for doing so.
Due to this fact, the try and do such an “operation” on a residing individual have to be put below strict regulation. We might maintain a extra tolerant view towards experimental “operations”, however relating to such operations on people, professionals, the media and supervisors should all be cautious.
Wang Yue, a professor on the Institute of Medical Humanities, Peking College
A extremely difficult and harmful affair
Canavero stated he would transplant the pinnacle of a residing human. Allow us to assume he succeeds in his efforts and the affected person survives after the operation. The issue that may come up is: Who’s the “new individual”? Will she or he be recognized with the pinnacle or the physique?
Plus, the physiological, moral, psychological and authorized issues carry unprecedented issues.
Physiologically, the brand new individual’s thoughts (the mind) ought to management the physique, however for the reason that physique can be that of one other individual, it may not reply accordingly. The outcome may very well be utter inside chaos.
Ethically, if the brand new individual marries and begets youngsters, whose DNA will the kids inherit? And psychologically, the brand new individual might develop a cut up character, torn between the dictates of the thoughts and the calling of the physique.
However not one of the issues can be as troubling and sophisticated because the authorized one. Whose identification ought to he/she inherit, the pinnacle’s or the physique’s? Whose property ought to he/she inherit? Whose household would he/she belong to? Would the individual get a brand new social safety quantity, or ought to he/she use one of many two outdated ones?
Fortunately, not one of the above is prone to occur within the close to future, as a result of no medical authority is but able to grant approval for a head transplant on a residing human. And I hope the medical authorities will probably be as cautious as they all the time have been, as a result of such a transplant would create many, many extra issues than options.
Zhang Tiankan, deputy chief editor of Encyclopedia journal and a former medical researcher
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