Health · Healthcare & Policy · 1 hr ago
Surgeon says spinal cord transplant was performed in Moscow
Chinese surgeon Ren Xiaoping says his team performed a spinal cord transplant in Moscow last week.
The operation involved replacing a damaged section with tissue from a brain-dead donor, three years after the patient suffered a spinal cord injury.
Ren says the team used microsurgery and polyethylene glycol, a substance intended to help join the tissue.
The patient’s condition is stable, but details about the injury and the patient’s recovery are limited.
Some researchers question whether the transplant will restore function and warn that a major operation could leave the patient worse off or lead to infection.
Related techniques have shown some movement recovery in animals, but transplanting a donor section years after an injury is different.
The Russian team plans to publish a document describing the surgery, according to Ren.
Chinese surgeon Xiaoping Ren says he led a spinal cord transplant operation in Moscow.
The 12-hour surgery took place on October 14-15, according to Ren.
The team replaced a segment of the patient’s spinal cord, injured three years earlier, with a segment from a brain-dead donor.
Ren said the patient’s condition was stable, while other researchers raised concerns about the procedure’s safety and potential benefit.
- Who
- Chinese surgeon Xiaoping Ren led the operation with a Russian team. The recipient was an adult with a complete spinal cord injury.
- What
- The team removed a damaged spinal cord segment and replaced it with one from a brain-dead donor.
- When
- The surgery was completed on October 14-15 and lasted 12 hours.
- Where
- At the Sklifosovsky Institute for Emergency Medicine in Moscow, Russia.
- Why
- The procedure aimed to connect spinal cord tissue using microsurgery and polyethylene glycol.
Ren and supporters
Researchers who question the operation
Potential benefit
Ren and supporters
Ren’s team used microsurgery and polyethylene glycol to fuse donor tissue to the patient’s spinal cord.
Researchers who question the operation
Critics question whether the transplant can functionally integrate or help the patient.
Patient safety
Ren and supporters
Ren said the patient had been informed of potential risks and was in good condition.
Researchers who question the operation
Melissa Andrews warned of substantial surgical risks, possible infection and little benefit.
The recipient sustained a complete spinal cord injury from external trauma.
Ren said the 12-hour transplant operation was completed in Moscow.
New Scientist reported that the transplant had been performed and described concerns raised by researchers.
SCMP reported Ren’s account of the operation.
- Lead surgeon
- Xiaoping Ren
- Operation
- 12 hours
- Surgery dates
- October 14-15
- Location
- Sklifosovsky Institute for Emergency Medicine, Moscow
- Donor tissue
- Segment from a brain-dead donor
- Recipient’s injury
- Complete spinal cord injury caused by trauma three years earlier
2 sources
What people are saying
We have informed the patient of every potential risk and surgical outcome, and the patient’s current condition is good,
This is a Sputnik moment for spinal cord injury,
I’m concerned for the patient’s safety as they likely will be much worse off after this procedure, given the need to recover from a substantial surgery, with very little benefit,