First-ever patient to receive pig's kidney dies two months after surgery

The US man Richard Slayman who received a pig's kidney transplant passed away at the age of 62, two months after going through the surgery.

"Mass General is deeply saddened at the sudden passing of Mr. Rick Slayman. We have no indication that it was the result of his recent transplant," the hospital that carried out the procedure said in a statement issued late Saturday.

"Slayman will forever be seen as a beacon of hope to countless transplant patients worldwide and we are deeply grateful for his trust and willingness to advance the field of xenotransplantation," it added.

Boston's Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) said they have no indication that Slayman's death was the result of his transplant.

The pig kidney provided by a biotech company, eGenesis, was modified to remove harmful pig genes before transplanting into Slayman.

The certain human genes were also added into the pig kidney, hospital informed.