A woman who underwent a pig kidney transplant in April at a New York hospital died 47 days after the organ had to be removed, a surgeon said Tuesday.
Lisa Pisano, 54, has become the second person to receive a transplant from a pig kidney that has been genetically modified to increase compatibility between an animal graft and a human recipient.
A New Jersey woman who suffered from kidney and heart failure became the first person to receive a heart transplant and a heart pump, but within two months of the operation the new kidney had to be removed due to infection. Pacemaker-related irregular blood flow forces her to undergo dialysis again.
“Lisa’s contribution to medicine, surgery and gene transplantation cannot be underestimated. Her courage has given hope to thousands of people living with end-stage kidney or heart failure,” highlighted Robert Montgomery, the doctor who operated on her.
The first person to receive a kidney from a genetically modified pig was Richard Slayman, 62, of Massachusetts in March, but he died two months later.
Kidneys are one of the most sought-after organs for transplant in the United States, where about 800,000 people need an organ.
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