Richard “Rick” Slayman, 62, who made headlines as the first person to undergo a pig kidney transplant, has sadly passed away nearly two months post-surgery. The groundbreaking four-hour procedure took place at a hospital in Boston in March.
Slayman’s family expressed gratitude towards the medical team behind the world-first surgery, acknowledging their “enormous efforts.” Despite the pioneering nature of the animal-to-human transplant, known as xenotransplantation, they highlighted the precious additional time the procedure afforded them with Rick.
Notably, Slayman had a kidney transplant previously in 2018 but had to resort to dialysis again last year due to signs of failure in the transplanted organ. Given the need for frequent procedures due to dialysis complications, his doctors proposed a pig kidney transplant.
Slayman’s family shared that he underwent the procedure not just for his own health but also to inspire hope among those awaiting transplants. His optimism and hope, they emphasized, will endure, serving as a beacon for others facing similar challenges.
The transplant team at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) stated that they had no indication that Slayman’s death was a direct result of the transplant. Pig kidneys had been transplanted into brain-dead donors previously, albeit temporarily, and two individuals had received pig hearts, both passing away within months of the surgeries.
In a related development, Lisa Pisano of New Jersey became the second person globally to undergo a pig kidney transplant, while also having a mechanical heart pump surgically implanted. Her decision to proceed with the surgery stemmed from heart and kidney failure, rendering her unfit for a traditional transplant.
The sobering reality underscores the critical need for organ donations. In the U.S., over 100,000 individuals await transplants, predominantly for kidneys, with thousands succumbing while on the waiting list. Similarly, in the UK, nearly 7,000 patients were awaiting transplants last year, with hundreds passing away while waiting for organs.