# Lifespan of a hemicorporectomy recipient
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lifespan-of-a-hemicorporectomy-recipient/641078
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [November 15, 2012, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lifespan-of-a-hemicorporectomy-recipient/641078 "2012-11-15T13:44:39Z")
**Posts on this page:** 3
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@CheeseDonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CheeseDonkey)
#### Post date: [November 15, 2012, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lifespan-of-a-hemicorporectomy-recipient/641078/1 "2012-11-15T13:44:39Z")
I was just reading about a medical procedure called the hemicorporectomy, where the bottom half of a person is almost if not entirely removed. Do people who get that procedure normally live long, “full” lives, or do they end up dying at a relatively young age?
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### Author:  [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)
#### Post date: [November 15, 2012, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lifespan-of-a-hemicorporectomy-recipient/641078/2 "2012-11-15T14:29:12Z")
I’m sure some of it depends on the reason they had that dramatic of an operation to start with.
Poking around on google, most of the hits seem to cite the same study. Out of 66 patients, they survived anywhere from 2 to 22 years after the procedure, with an average of 11 years.
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### Author:  [@Silophant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silophant)
#### Post date: [November 15, 2012, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lifespan-of-a-hemicorporectomy-recipient/641078/3 "2012-11-15T14:57:56Z")
I don’t know if she ever answered your specific question, but we have a a member that’s received this procedure. [Here’s her Q&A thread.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=629518)