First Living Patient with Transplanted Pig Kidney Discharged from Hospital: 'A New Beginning'

“He is recovering well and will continue to recuperate at home with his family,” Massachusetts General Hospital announced

The first living recipient of a genetically modified pig kidney is heading home after last month’s groundbreaking surgery.

The Massachusetts General Hospital announced that Rick Slayman — a 62-year-old man diagnosed with end-stage kidney disease last year — was discharged from the hospital on April 3, two weeks after the surgery.

The hospital said in a statement that he is “recovering well and will continue to recuperate at home with his family.”

“This moment – leaving the hospital today with one of the cleanest bills of health I’ve had in a long time – is one I wished would come for many years,” Slayman shared. “Now, it’s a reality and one of the happiest moments of my life.”

“I’m excited to resume spending time with my family, friends, and loved ones free from the burden of dialysis that has affected my quality of life for many years,” he continued, thanking his team of surgeons for the care he received. “Lastly, I want to thank anyone who has seen my story and sent well-wishes, especially patients waiting for a kidney transplant. Today marks a new beginning not just for me, but for them, as well. My recovery is progressing smoothly and I ask for privacy at this time.”

Related: Mass. Hospital Announces First Successful Transplant of Genetically Modified Pig Kidney into Living Human

Slayman’s four-hour pig kidney transplant was conducted on March 21. The surgery at the Mass General Hospital Transplant Center included a "genetically-edited pig kidney with 69 genomic edits," according to a release from the hospital.

“Mass General Brigham researchers and clinicians are constantly pushing the boundaries of science to transform medicine and solve significant health issues facing our patients in their daily lives,” President and CEO of Mass General Brigham Anne Klibanski, MD, said at the time.

“Nearly seven decades after the first successful kidney transplant, our clinicians have once again demonstrated our commitment to provide innovative treatments and help ease the burden of disease for our patients and others around the world,” she continued.

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According to the New York Times, Slayman had diabetes and hypertension and previously underwent kidney surgery. He received a human kidney in 2018 but it failed within five years leading to further complications, his nephrologist Dr. Winfred Williams told the outlet.

“He said, ‘I just can’t go on like this. I can’t keep doing this.’ I started to think about extraordinary measures we could take," Williams said. “He would have had to wait five to six years for a human kidney. He would not have been able to survive it."

Related: Pig Kidney Transplanted in Brain-Dead Human Worked for More Than a Month, Researchers Say

In a statement shared by the hospital, the patient said he saw the pig kidney surgery — which he was informed of the "pros and cons" of — as "a way to provide hope for thousands of people who need a transplant to survive."

The hospital noted that the surgery was performed under the Food and Drug Administration's compassionate use protocol, which grants someone with life-threatening illness access to experimental treatment when no comparable options exist.

The Massachusetts General Hospital said that xenotransplantation — or the transplant of an organ from one species to another — could mark a solution to an ongoing organ shortage. According to numbers from the United Network for Organ Sharing, over 100,000 people in the U.S. are on a transplant waiting list with 90,000 in need of kidneys.

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