A 62-year-old man, Richard “Rick” Slayman, who received the world’s first genetically modified pig kidney transplant, has died two months after the operation.
He had been suffering from end-stage kidney disease before undergoing the operation in March at Massachusetts General Hospital.
The hospital said there was no indication his death was a result of the transplant.
The Kidney Transplant
Slayman had a human kidney transplant in 2018, but it began to fail after five years.
Following his pig kidney transplant on 16 March, his doctors confirmed he no longer needed dialysis after the new organ was said to be functioning well.
Family’s Tribute
Mr Slayman’s relatives said his story was an inspiration.
“Rick said that one of the reasons he underwent this procedure was to provide hope for the thousands of people who need a transplant to survive,” they said.
“Rick accomplished that goal and his hope and optimism will endure forever.
“To us, Rick was a kind-hearted man with a quick-witted sense of humour who was fiercely dedicated to his family, friends, and co-workers,” they added.
Pig Organ Transplants
While Mr Slayman received the first pig kidney to be transplanted into a human, it is not the first pig organ to be used in a transplant procedure.
Two other patients have received pig heart transplants, but those procedures were unsuccessful as the recipients died a few weeks later.
In one case, there were signs the patient’s immune system had rejected the organ, which is a common risk in transplants.
Experts have described Richard “Rick” Slayman’s story is an inspiration, while his legacy is expected to be remembered as a beacon of hope for countless transplant patients worldwide.