Patient gets pig kidney transplant removed
A woman who received a pig kidney transplant had the genetically modified organ removed after it faced issues relating to a heart pump she also got.
Surgeons removed the pig kidney from 54-year-old Lisa Pisano on May 29—47 days after it was transplanted, according to NYU Langone Transplant Institute director Dr. Robert Montgomery told the Associated Press.
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.
Currently, Pisano is still hospitalized but is in a stable condition and back on kidney dialysis, Montgomery said. "We are hoping to get Lisa back to her family soon," he said.
"Lisa is a pioneer and a hero in the effort to create a sustainable option for people waiting for an organ transplant," he added.
The kidney wasn't rejected by the patient but it faced issues with the heart pump. According to a statement to WIRED, the ventricular assist device wasn't able to pass enough blood through the transplanted kidney. The genetically edited organ was damaged by inadequate blood flow and did not show signs of rejection.
In April, Pisano told the Associated Press that she just "took a chance" with the organ. "Worst case scenario, if it didn't work for me, it might have worked for someone else."
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.
