First-Ever Pig Kidney and Heart Pump Transplant Patient Dies 47 Days After Surgery

Melissa Mattola-Kiatos, RN, nursing practice specialist, removes the pig kidney from its box to prepare for transplantation at Massachusetts General Hospital, in Boston, Mass., on March 16, 2024. Richard “Rick” Slayman, the first recipient of a genetically modified pig kidney transplant, has died nearly two months after he underwent the procedure, his family and the hospital that performed the surgery said on May 11, 2024. Massachusetts General Hospital via AP

A grandmother who became the first person ever to receive both a mechanical heart pump and a gene-edited pig kidney has died 47 days after surgery, according to health officials who performed the surgeries.

Lisa Pisano, 54, was on the verge of death from kidney and heart failure when she was fitted by surgeons at NYU Langone Health with a heart pump—called a left ventricular assist device or LVAD—on April 4.

She then underwent the transplant—which came from a pig that had been genetically modified so that its organs would be less likely to destroy her immune system—on April 12.

The New Jersey native’s failed heart made her ineligible for a traditional kidney transplant.

Although Ms. Pisano initially appeared to be recovering from the operations, the transplanted organ had to be removed on May 29 after it was damaged by her heart medications.

Once the organ was removed, Ms. Pisano was put back on dialysis.

Still, Ms. Pisano eventually entered hospice care and died on July 7, NYU Langone transplant surgeon Dr. Robert Montgomery said in an emailed statement to The Epoch Times. He praised Ms. Pisano’s bravery ahead of the pig organ-to-human experiment, also known as a xenotransplantation.

“Lisa helped bring us closer to realizing a future where someone does not have to die for another person to live,” Dr. Montgomery said. “She will forever be remembered for her courage and good nature.”

Ms. Pisano was the first known person to undergo an organ transplant with a mechanical heart pump, and the second living person to receive a kidney from a gene-edited pig.

Other Pig Organ Transplants

The first patient to receive a kidney from a gene-edited pig, 62-year-old Richard “Rick” Slayman of Weymouth, Massachusetts, died in early May, nearly two months after doctors at Massachusetts General Hospital performed the surgery.

The hospital said in a statement after Mr. Slayman’s death that nothing suggests his loss of life was caused by the transplant.

As well as the two pig kidney experiments, the University of Maryland transplanted pig hearts into two men in 2023 but both died within months.

More than 100,000 people are on the transplant waiting list in the United States, according to the Health Resources and Services Administration, an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Approximately 17 people die every day waiting for an organ transplant.

An obituary for Ms. Pisano published online describes her as a “hardworking and devoted mother and grandmother,” who always put her family first.

Ms. Pisano was also a “dedicated member of the Navy” who “served her country with honor before dedicating her life to her family and community,” according to the obituary.

“Lisa is a hero to the medical community, inspiring others with her determination to survive and push the boundaries of treatment when becoming the first woman to receive a pig kidney transplant and a heart pump known as an LVAD,” it reads. “Sadly, she ultimately succumbed to her many health issues but will leave behind a legacy of determination and hope.”

A memorial will be held for Ms. Pisano on July 13 at Mastapeter Memorial Home in New Jersey.

The Epoch Times has contacted a spokesperson at NYU Langone Health for further comment.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.