The first recipient who received the world’s first genetically modified pig kidney transplant died two months later after he underwent the surgery with his family and friends at the hospital in March.
Richard ‘Rick’ Slayman received the transplant at the Massachusetts General Hospital(MGH) in Boston in March at the age of 62. The surgeons who performed this operation and agreed to do this surgery believed that the modified pig kidney transplant would keep the receiver alive for at least two years.
Massachusetts General Hospital Pays Condolences
The transplant and surgery team were deeply moved by the sudden passing of Richard ‘Rick’ Slayman, who was the world’s first person to receive this procedure and paid tribute to his family and friends. However, the hospital staff and authorities said that there was no indication that the receiver died as a result of the modified pig kidney transplant.
Mass General is deeply saddened at the sudden passing of Mr. Rick Slayman. We have no indication that it was the result of his recent transplant. Mr. Slayman will forever be seen as a beacon of hope to countless transplant patients worldwide and we are deeply grateful for his… pic.twitter.com/I1dFqHZEmr
— MassGeneral News (@MassGeneralNews) May 11, 2024
The pig kidney transplant recipient, Richard ‘Rick’ Slayman, lived in Weymouth, Massachusetts, and worked as a manager at the Massachusetts Department of Transportation. It was reported that Slayman suffered from type 2 diabetes and received a kidney transplant in 2018, but he went to dialysis last year as the kidney showed signs of failure, which could lead to his untimely death. During the dialysis stage, the doctors opted for a pig kidney transplant for him and his family.
Previously, pig kindney transplants was used temporarily for the donors who were announced brain dead. Two persons received pig heart transplants but both died within two months.
Rick’s Family Statement after World’s First Pig Kidney Surgery
After the surgery, Richard ‘Rick’ Slayman‘s family members thanked the doctors for doing the surgery succesfully and for saving his life. Rick’s family stated that ‘Their enormous efforts leading the xenotransplant gave our family seven more weeks with Rick, and our memories made during that time will remain in our minds and hearts.’
They further said that Rick’s surgery provides hope for millions of people across the world who require a transplant to survive and continue living their lives. They ended the statement by saying that Rick reached his ultimate objective and that his optimism and faith would reach others and inspire them.
What is Xenotransplantation?
The term ‘xenotransplantation’ refers to the use of animal cells, tissues, and organs in healing human patients. Since the human immune system instantly destroys any alien animal tissue, this procedure is destined to be considered a failure, and it is restricted to use in hospitals without informing the patient’s family members or friends.
But in recent years, due to scientific advancements in the field of medicine, many scientists have even attempted to use the organs of pigs and modify them to make the organs look like humans. Last month, a New Jersey woman of 54 years old became the second person to receive a modified pig kidney transplant after Richard ‘Rick’ Slayman.
The majority of people living in the United States—100,000 individuals on the nation’s transplant waiting list—are kidney victims, who suffer each year due to their bad kidney problems, type 1 and type 2 diabetes, and thousands of them pass away each year before even their time comes.
The Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network said that 27,000 kidney transplants were performed last year, but there were also 89,000 people waiting on the individuals’ lists to receive the organs.
