Human head transplants could be performed within two years, according to an Italian surgeon.
Sergio Canavero has set out his ideas for undertaking the procedure in a surgical journal.
He claims a head transplant – or rather a body transplant – could help people with muscle or nervous system wasting diseases or even those with advanced cancer.
He proposes to fuse the spinal cords together using polyethylene glycol.
He set out his ideas in Surgical Neurology International last month.
The procedure was performed on a monkey in 1970 in Cleveland, USA, and surgeons claimed it was a success because the hybrid animal lived for nine days.
Speaking to the New Scientist Mr Canavero said it was possible permission would be given for the procedure somewhere in the world.
He said: "If society doesn’t want it, I won’t do it. But if people don’t want it, in the US or Europe, that doesn’t mean it won’t be done somewhere else.
"I’m trying to go about this the right way, but before going to the moon, you want to make sure people will follow you."
Surg Neurol Int 3 February 2015 [abstract]
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