head transplant. The ground-breaking operation took a team of
19 hours to complete and has allowed the patient to
be cancer-free.
Paul Horner, who was diagnosed with bone cancer five years
ago, was on the verge of death when he was approved for the
controversial and possibly dea
dly operation.
Doctor Tom Downey, who was part of the South African team
who carried out the operation, told CNN he is thrilled about the
results. “It’s a massive breakthrough. We’ve proved that it can
be done – we can give someone a brand new body that is just
as good, or better, than their previous one.
The success of this operation leads to infinite possibilities.”
Downey spoke to reporters on the complexity behind the first
ever head transplant. “This procedure is another excellent
example of how medical research, technical know-how and
patient-centered care can be combined in the quest to relieve
human suffering.”
The operation was led by Professor Myron Danus and took
place on February 10, 2015.
“Our goal is for Horner to be fully functional in two years and so
far we are very pleased by his rapid recovery,” said prof.
Danus. “Before the operation, Horner’s body was riddled with
cancer and he had less than a month to live. We were fortunate
enough to find a donor body; a 21-year-old man who has been
brain dead from a serious car accident that happened in 2012.
The boys body worked just fine, but his brain was not
functioning whatsoever, and there was absolutely no chance of
recovery.
He added: “We received approval from the young man’s parents
to use their sons body to do the operation. They were extremely
happy their son could save a life even in the vegetated state
that he was in.”
The man, Horner, has made 85% recovery; walking, talking,
doing things a healthy individual does
Surgeons at Charlotte Maxexe Johannesburg Academic
Hospital in SA did the operation in February but had to wait until
they could confirm it was successful before they made any
public statement.
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