Recipient of groundbreaking surgery released from hospital. Find out what he has to say

David R. Smith, The Patriot Ledger
·3 min read

WEYMOUTH – Richard "Rick" Slayman isn't returning to life as normal, but life as he hasn't known it for years – a life he wished for but thought he might never live to see again.

Slayman, 62, a Weymouth resident and the world's first recipient of a genetically edited pig kidney transplant, was discharged from Massachusetts General Hospital on Wednesday.

“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,” Slayman said in a statement on April 3.

Slayman, a former employee with the state's Department of Transportation, was suffering from end-stage kidney disease when surgeons from the Mass General Transplant Center conducted the four-hour surgery Saturday, March 16.

First-in-the-world pig kidney transplant survivor Rick Slayman with (left to right) Dr. Leo Riella, Mass General Hospital's medical director of kidney transplantation, Dr. Nahel Elias, interim chief for MGH's Division of Transplant Surgery, Slayman's partner, Faren, and Dr. Tatsuo Kawai, director of the hospital's Legorreta Center for Clinical Transplant Tolerance.

The procedure was carried out under the leadership of doctors Leonardo V. Riella, medical director for kidney transplantation; Tatsuo Kawai, director of the Legorreta Center for Clinical Transplant Tolerance; and Nahel Elias, MD, the interim chief of transplant surgery and surgical director for kidney transplantation.

Slayman thanked those doctors, along with his nephrologist, Dr. Winfred Williams, and the nurses who cared for him.

“The care I received was exceptional, and I trust physicians of the Mass General Brigham health system with my life,” he said.

The transplanted kidney was supplied by eGenesis of Cambridge using a pig donor that was genetically edited to remove harmful pig genes and add certain human genes to improve its compatibility with humans.

The surgical transplant team at Mass General Hospital transplants a pig kidney into a human patient on March 16
The surgical transplant team at Mass General Hospital transplants a pig kidney into a human patient on March 16

Operation offers hope for 100k Americans waiting for kidney transplants

Slayman also thanked well-wishers who heard about his surgery, particularly those who are also waiting for kidney transplants.

“Today marks a new beginning not just for me, but for them, as well,” he said.

More than 100,000 people in the U.S. are waiting for organ transplants, and 17 people die each day waiting for an organ, according to the United Network for Organ Sharing.

A kidney is the most common organ needed for transplant, and end-stage kidney disease rates are estimated to increase 29-68% in the U.S. by 2030, according to information published in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.

Procedure will boost further research

The procedure was performed under an FDA Expanded Access Protocol, referred to as "compassionate use," which is granted to a single patient or group of patients with serious, life-threatening illnesses or conditions to gain access to experimental treatments or trials when no comparable treatment options or therapies exist, according to information from Mass General hospital.

The procedure and Slayman's outcome will be used to further explore the use of pig kidney transplants into humans.

Slayman looking forward to life without dialysis

Slayman has asked for privacy as he continues to recover and returns to his new everyday 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 said.

This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Weymouth's Rick Slayman released from MGH after pig kidney transplant