According to hospital information, Mr. Slayman (62 years old) is recovering well and will continue to recover at home with his family. He shared: "The moment of being discharged from the hospital with one of the best health certificates I have had in a long time, is a moment I have wished for many years. Now, it has become a reality and is one of the happiest moments of my life."
Mr. Slayman with doctors at Massachusetts General Hospital. Photo: MGH
Doctors had previously suggested Slayman try a gene-edited pig kidney when he was diagnosed with end-stage renal disease last year. Doctors said last month that they thought his new kidney could last for years, but acknowledged that there were still many unknowns about animal-to-human transplants.
Pig kidneys have been transplanted into brain-dead patients before. Mr. Slayman is the first living patient in the world to receive a genetically modified pig kidney. In addition to kidneys, the US has also transplanted pig hearts into two patients, but both died within two months.
The need for transplants far exceeds the number of organs available. Every day in the United States, 17 people die while waiting for an organ. Kidneys are the organ in the lowest supply. About 27,000 kidneys were transplanted in 2023, but nearly 89,000 people are on the waiting list for those organs.
Slayman said he was happy that his surgery could offer hope to other patients waiting for a kidney transplant. "Today marks a new beginning not only for me but for them," he said.
Ngoc Anh (according to CNN)
Source
Comment (0)