The first person to undergo a pig kidney transplant, Richard “Rick” Slayman, has passed away nearly two months after the groundbreaking procedure.
Slayman, 62, received the genetically modified pig kidney in a four-hour surgery at a Boston hospital in March.
This historic transplant marked the first instance of a living patient receiving a pig kidney. Surgeons had initially estimated that the organ would function for at least two years.
His family announced his passing, expressing gratitude to the medical team for their tireless efforts.
They reflected on the seven additional weeks they had with Rick following the xenotransplant, cherishing the memories made during that time.
According to the transplant team at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), there is no indication that his death was linked to the transplant.
Slayman, who was from Weymouth, Massachusetts, had previously undergone a kidney transplant at MGH in 2018.
However, he returned to dialysis last year after signs of failure appeared in the transplanted kidney.
As he required frequent procedures due to complications from dialysis, Slayman’s doctors recommended a pig kidney transplant.
His family mentioned that he chose to undergo the procedure to inspire hope among those waiting for transplants.
They added, “Rick achieved that objective, and his hope and optimism will live on indefinitely.”
Previously, pig kidneys had been transplanted into brain-dead donors, albeit temporarily. Additionally, two men received hearts from pigs, but both passed away within months of their surgeries.
A month after Slayman’s transplant, Lisa Pisano of New Jersey became the second person globally to undergo a pig kidney transplant. She was also the first to undergo the procedure while having a mechanical heart pump surgically implanted.
At 54 years old, Pisano decided to “take a chance” after experiencing heart and kidney failure, rendering her too ill to be eligible for a traditional transplant.
In the US, over 100,000 individuals are awaiting organ transplants, with the majority in need of a kidney. Tragically, thousands perish while awaiting a suitable donor.
Meanwhile, in the UK, the NHS reported 6,959 patients on the organ transplant waiting list in the year leading up to March last year.
In the same period, 439 patients lost their lives while on the active transplant waiting list, and an additional 732 individuals were removed from the list, primarily due to deteriorating health and ineligibility for transplantation.
YOU MAY ALSO READ: Dubai launches long-term ‘Dubai gaming visa’ to support e-gaming talent