Jessica Yellin Instagram – MEDICAL BREAKTHROUGH: HUMAN PATIENT GETS PIG KIDNEY Surgeons at Massachusetts General Hospital transplanted a genetically-modified pig kidney into a patient with end-stage kidney disease. This is the first time such a procedure has been performed, and it could revolutionize treatment for kidney disease. The patient, a 62-year-old Black man named Rick Slayman, is doing well. His new kidney is functional, and he is reportedly well enough to walk around the hospital. There is currently a shortage of human kidneys available for transplant, while tens of millions of Americans have kidney disease. Over 100,000 Americans are in the kidney transplant waitlist. Black patients suffer disproportionately from end-stage kidney disease. With genetically modified pig kidneys, more of those in dire need of a kidney may have access to a life-saving transplant. Doctors are still monitoring Slayman closely for any sign of organ rejection, but one doctor on his team said he’s recovering very well: “He looks like his own self. It’s remarkable.”