Italian professor claims world's first head transplant has been performed in China

Medical science has seen tremendous progress in the past few decades with sophisticated procedures saving lives in cases that previously left no scope for survival. In the past few years transplants have been able to save people and make their lives better.

Now a controversial Italian professor is claiming that the experts have successfully carried out the world’s first ever head transplant in China. Sergio Canavero says that the surgery has been performed on a corpse and will soon be done with a living person.

The procedure took 18 hours as experts showed how the spine, nerves and blood vessels of a severed head can be reconnected. The team that carried out the transplant was headed by Dr Xiaoping Ren who grafted a head on a monkey’s body last year.

Canavero announced the success at a press conference in Vienna and a full report will be available in next few days.