First-in-the-world: Spinal cord transplant done on paralyzed patient in Russia
What's the story
In a groundbreaking medical achievement, a team of Chinese and Russian doctors has performed what has been described as the world's first spinal cord transplant on a paralyzed patient in Moscow. The historic surgery was conducted at the Sklifosovsky Research Institute for Emergency Medicine. It lasted 12 hours and involved replacing an injured part of the patient's spinal cord with tissue from a brain-dead donor.
Surgical details
Details of the surgery
The surgery was performed by a joint team from Guangxi University of Chinese Medicine Second Affiliated Hospital and Russian medical experts.
The damaged spinal cord section was removed and replaced with donor tissue using microsurgery techniques.
Polyethylene glycol, a substance that fuses cell membranes, was used in this pioneering procedure.
After the operation, the patient's condition remained stable.
Post-surgery update
Patient has chance to recover, says Moscow mayor
Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin provided an update on the patient's condition on Telegram.
He said that the patient, who was initially at risk of total paralysis, now has a chance to recover and is doing well.
This landmark procedure opens up new possibilities for treating spinal cord injuries and restoring mobility to paralyzed patients.