OAN’s Abril Elfi
1:24 PM – Thursday, March 21, 2024
Surgeons at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston have successfully transplanted a genetically modified pig kidney into a living man for the first time.
On Thursday, the hospital announced that the procedure had been the first successful of its kind in the world.
The recipient of the kidney was Richard Slayman, 62, and doctors say that he is recovering well and is expected to be released soon.
According to reports, Slayman had been suffering from end-stage kidney disease due to type 2 diabetes and hypertension at the time of the procedure. In 2018, he had received a human kidney transplant after seven years of dialysis. However, five years later, the kidney began to show signs of failure.
With limited options, Slayman was presented with the “pros and cons” of receiving a pig kidney.
“I saw it not only as a way to help me, but as a way to provide hope for the thousands of people who need a transplant to survive,” Slayman said.
At a press conference on Thursday, Dr. Leo Riella, the hospital’s medical director of kidney transplantation, began tearing up.
“Deepest gratitude goes to our MGH team for their support, guidance, and expertise. I cannot think of a more dedicated team in the world, and I’m honored to be a part of it,” Riella said through tears.
The hospital stated that the transplant was a “major milestone in the quest to provide more readily available organs to patients.”
The United Network for Organ Sharing says that more than 100,000 people in the U.S. are currently waiting for an organ transplant and that 17 people die each day on average while waiting for a transplant.
“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,” said Anne Klibanski, president and CEO of Mass General Brigham. “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.”
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