WASHINGTON. A woman who underwent a groundbreaking pig kidney transplant along with an implanted heart pump has passed away, her surgeon announced on Tuesday.
Lisa Pisano, from New Jersey, was in critical condition due to kidney and heart failure when she received the pioneering surgeries at NYU Langone Health in April. Initially, Pisano showed signs of recovery, but complications arose 47 days later when the pig kidney was damaged by her heart medications, forcing doctors to remove it and place her back on dialysis.
Despite the dialysis and the implanted heart pump, Pisano’s condition worsened, and she was placed in hospice care. She passed away on Sunday, as confirmed by Dr. Robert Montgomery, the transplant surgeon at NYU Langone.
Dr. Montgomery praised Pisano’s courage in undergoing the experimental procedure known as xenotransplantation, which aims to address the critical shortage of transplantable organs. “Lisa helped bring us closer to realizing a future where someone does not have to die for another person to live,” he said. “She will forever be remembered for her courage and good nature.”
Back in April, the 54-year-old Pisano told The Associated Press that she understood the risks involved. “I just took a chance. And you know, worst case scenario, if it didn’t work for me, it might have worked for someone else,” she said.
Pisano was the second patient to receive a kidney from a gene-edited pig. The first patient, Richard “Rick” Slayman, received his transplant at Massachusetts General Hospital and died in early May, nearly two months post-surgery. His doctor stated that Slayman’s death was due to preexisting heart disease, not the transplant.
The U.S. transplant waiting list has over 100,000 people, most of whom need a kidney, and thousands die waiting. In response, several biotech companies are working on genetically modifying pigs to make their organs more compatible with human bodies and less likely to be rejected by the immune system.
In addition to the pig kidney experiments, the University of Maryland has transplanted pig hearts into two men who had no other options; both died within months. However, the insights gained from these procedures, along with research on donated bodies, give doctors hope that they can begin formal clinical trials next year with patients who aren’t in critical condition.
Lisa Pisano’s brave participation in this experimental surgery has contributed significantly to the advancement of xenotransplantation and offers hope for future patients in need of life-saving organ transplants.
Gary P Hernal started college at UP Diliman and received his BA in Economics from San Sebastian College, Manila, and Masters in Information Systems Management from Keller Graduate School of Management of DeVry University in Oak Brook, IL. He has 25 years of copy editing and management experience at Thomson West, a subsidiary of Thomson Reuters.
