Rick Slayman, the world’s first living recipient of a genetically edited pig kidney transplant, has been discharged from the hospital.
Slayman, a 62-year-old manager with the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, had previously said his doctors suggested that he try a pig kidney when he was diagnosed with end-stage kidney disease last year.
According to CNN, Slayman was discharged on Wednesday, two weeks after his operation, according to a statement by Massachusetts General Hospital. “He is recovering well and will continue to recuperate at home with his family,” the hospital wrote on X.
In a statement issued by the hospital, Slayman expressed his gratitude and joy, saying, “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. Now, it’s a reality and one of the happiest moments of my life.”
His doctors stated last month that they thought Slayman’s new kidney could last years but also acknowledged that there are many unknowns in animal-to-human transplants.
Slayman’s surgery is the third such xenotransplant of a pig organ into a living human. The first two transplants were hearts transplanted into living patients who had run out of other transplant options. However, both patients died weeks after receiving their organs.
Slayman expressed his gratitude for the response to his surgery, especially from other patients who are waiting for a kidney transplant. “Today marks a new beginning not just for me, but for them, as well,” Slayman said.
