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Rick Slayman Dies Two Months After First Genetically Modified Pig Kidney Transplant

May 12, 2024, 11:16 AM

Rick Slayman, the first person to receive a genetically modified pig kidney transplant, has died nearly two months after the procedure, which was performed on March 16 at Massachusetts General Hospital. Despite his death, the hospital stated there was no indication that the transplant was the cause. Slayman, who was 62 years old and from Weymouth, Massachusetts, had previously been on dialysis and received a human kidney transplant in 2018 that failed. He underwent a four-hour surgery and was discharged on April 3. The pioneering surgery was seen as a major milestone in transplant medicine, offering hope to countless patients worldwide.