US surgeons successfully transplant pig kidney into patient

March 21, 2024

In a groundbreaking medical achievement, doctors in Boston revealed on Thursday that they have successfully transplanted a pig kidney into a 62-year-old patient, according to US News.

Massachusetts General Hospital hailed this milestone as the first instance of a genetically modified pig kidney being transplanted into a living individual.

Prior to this, pig kidneys had only been temporarily transplanted into brain-dead donors. Additionally, two men had received heart transplants from pigs, although unfortunately, both passed away within months.

The historic experimental transplant took place at Boston Hospital on Saturday. The recipient, Richard “Rick” Slayman of Weymouth, Massachusetts, is reportedly recovering well and is anticipated to be discharged soon, according to doctors.

Slayman, who had previously undergone a kidney transplant at the hospital in 2018, was compelled to return to dialysis last year when signs of kidney failure emerged.

When complications with dialysis arose, his medical team proposed the option of a pig kidney transplant, as stated in a hospital-released statement.

“The real hero today is the patient, Mr Slayman, as the success of this pioneering surgery, once deemed unimaginable, would not have been possible without his courage and willingness to embark on a journey into uncharted medical territory.

“As the global medical community celebrates this monumental achievement, Mr. Slayman becomes a beacon of hope for countless individuals suffering from end-stage renal disease and opens a new frontier in organ transplantation,” said Joren C. Madsen, MD, DPhil, Director of the MGH Transplant Centre.

Expressing his perspective on the procedure, Slayman articulated, “I saw it not only as a way to help me but a way to provide hope for the thousands of people who need a transplant to survive.”

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