The family of a 62-year-old man, who made medical history by undergoing the world’s pioneering pig kidney transplant, has sadly announced his passing.
Richard Slayman underwent the groundbreaking procedure at Massachusetts General Hospital in March and was discharged two weeks later.
After receiving the pig kidney transplant on March 16, Slayman’s medical team confirmed that he no longer required dialysis, indicating the successful functioning of the new organ.
In a statement, Massachusetts General Hospital expressed gratitude for Slayman’s courage and trust in advancing the field of xenotransplantation, recognizing him as a symbol of hope for transplant patients worldwide.
While surgeons anticipated the pig kidney to function for at least two years, previous attempts at transplanting other organs from genetically modified pigs had been unsuccessful. Nonetheless, Slayman’s operation was hailed as a historic milestone.
The hospital clarified that there is no evidence to suggest that Slayman’s passing was linked to the transplant. Slayman, a resident of Weymouth, had battled Type 2 diabetes and hypertension for an extended period before receiving a kidney transplant from a deceased human donor in December 2018.
