Lisa Pisano, the first to receive a pig kidney and mechanical heart pump transplant, passed away three months post-surgery. Despite initial recovery, complications led to organ removal and her eventual death. Her case highlighted the potential of gene-edited pig organs as a future solution to donor shortages.
A grandmother who was the first recipient of a combined pig kidney and mechanical heart pump transplant has passed away three months after the groundbreaking surgeries.
Lisa Pisano, who underwent these operations in April, showed initial signs of recovery but her health deteriorated, leading to her death on July 7.
Pisano’s surgeries were notable for their innovative approach to addressing organ shortages. Initially, she showed positive recovery signs, but complications arose when her heart medications adversely affected the transplanted pig kidney.
Consequently, doctors had to remove the kidney 47 days after the surgery. Pisano returned to dialysis but continued using the heart pump. Despite these efforts, her condition worsened, and she entered hospice care, where she passed away.
Dr. Robert Montgomery, her transplant surgeon at NYU Langone, praised Pisano’s bravery and contribution to medical science.
He remarked, “Lisa helped bring us closer to realizing a future where someone does not have to die for another person to live. She will forever be remembered for her courage and good nature.”
Her case followed a similar transplant performed on Richard Slayman at Massachusetts General Hospital in March. Slayman, the first person to receive a gene-edited pig kidney, passed away in early May from preexisting heart disease, not related to the transplant.
Both Pisano and Slayman’s cases aimed to explore viable alternatives to human organ donations amid a significant shortage, paving the way for future advancements in medical science.
