For the second time in history, surgeons have successfully transplanted a modified pig kidney into a living person. The patient also received a heart pump and a porcine thymus gland to reduce the chances of rejection. Lisa Pisano, 54, had been suffering from heart failure and end-stage kidney disease for years. Due to her body rejecting available human donor organs, finding a suitable kidney would have taken years, according to the hospital.
The operation was conducted in two stages, with the heart pump being implanted first and the kidney transplant following once it was working properly. In addition to the gene-edited kidney, doctors performed the first-ever transplant of a pig’s thymus gland into a living patient. This is a significant step as it could impact the patient’s entire immune system. The hope is that this procedure will help reduce the likelihood of organ rejection and support the patient’s recovery.
Lisa Pisano expressed that she had exhausted all other options before deciding to undergo the surgery. She hopes that if it doesn’t benefit her, it may help someone else in the future. Nearly two weeks post-operation, Pisano shows no signs of organ rejection, and the lead surgeon at Langone Health reports that the kidney is functioning perfectly. The surgery took place at New York University Langone Health in mid-April.
