Woman who got second pig kidney transplant dies after two months

The recipient of the second-ever pig kidney transplant, who also had a heart pump implanted, passed away two months after the surgery.

Lisa Pisano received the pair of surgeries in April after suffering from near death due to kidney and heart failure.

At first, the 54-year-old woman from New Jersey appeared to be recuperating well, according to a report by The Associated Press. However, approximately 47 days later, surgeons had to remove the pig kidney and return Pisano to dialysis since her heart medications caused damage to the organ.

In a statement obtained by the media outlet, Dr. Robert Montgomery, a transplant surgeon at NYU Langone, said that Pisano entered hospice care and passed away on Sunday despite receiving dialysis and having a heart pump inserted. He praised Pisano's bravery for attempting the latest xenotransplantation or the pig organ-to-human experiment despite knowing that "pig kidney might not work."

"Lisa helped bring us closer to realizing a future where someone does not have to die for another person to live," Montgomery said.

"She will forever be remembered for her courage and good nature," the surgeon added.

Pisano was the second person to get a kidney from a genetically engineered pig. She wasn't eligible to get a human organ because of her chronic conditions, including heart and kidney failure.

In April, Pisano told AP News that she knew the pig kidney might not work but bravely "took the chance" to try it.

"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 during the time.

The first patient to receive a pig kidney transplant was Richard Slayman of Weymouth, Massachusetts, in March 2024. He died nearly two months after the procedure at 62.

According to doctors at the Massachusetts General Hospital, there was "no indication" that he died as a result of the transplant.