Richard “Rick” Slayman, the 62-year-old who was successfully transplanted with a genetically modified pig kidney on March 16, has returned home to Weymouth, Massachusetts. The team from Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) in Boston, led by Leonardo V. Riella, medical director for kidney transplants, Tatsuo Kawai, director of the Legorreta Center for Clinical Transplant Tolerance, together with Nahel Elias, interim director of the Surgery and Transplant Surgery Department of the Kidney Transplant Department.
The patient: «One of the happiest moments of my life»
This was communicated by the management of the US hospital, the largest university hospital of Harvard Medical School, which also published a long statement from the patient:
«Leaving the hospital today with a letter of resignation certifying my best health in a long time is what I have wanted to come for many years – writes Slayman -. Now it’s a reality and one of the happiest moments of my life. I want to thank everyone at Massachusetts General Hospital who cared for me before and after my historic transplant, especially Dr. Williams, Dr. Riella, Dr. Kawai and the many nurses who cared for me every day of my life. my stay.”
“The care I received was exceptional and I entrust my life to the doctors at Mass General Brigham Health System. I’m excited to start spending time with my family againmy friends and loved ones without the weight of dialysis which has affected my quality of life for many years. Finally, I want to thank everyone who saw my story and sent me well wishes, especially the patients waiting for a kidney transplant. Today marks a new beginning not only for me, but for them too. My recovery is going smoothly and, at the moment, I ask for my privacy to be respected”, concludes the patient who wanted to be photographed.
