Pig kidney transplant recipient dies

Of Slayman's death, Mass General said there was "no indication that it was the result of his recent transplant"

(Image credit: BSIP / Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

published 13 May 2024

What happened

Richard "Rick" Slayman, the first patient to receive a genetically modified pig kidney, has died, his family and Boston's Massachusetts General Hospital said Sunday. Slayman, 62, underwent four hours of surgery at Mass General on March 16 and was released from the hospital in early April, no longer needing dialysis and with "one of the cleanest bills of health I've had in a long time," he said at the time.

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.