Woman who received pig kidney transplant and heart pump dies

Lisa Pisano, a patient who received multiple groundbreaking medical procedures, passed away recently. She underwent surgery to receive a mechanical heart pump and a gene-edited pig kidney. Although the kidney transplant initially showed promise, it eventually failed due to limited blood flow. Pisano’s case was significant as it marked the first reported organ transplant in a person with a mechanical heart pump and the second known transplant of a gene-edited pig kidney, along with the animal’s thymus gland. Her contributions to medicine and xenotransplantation were highly valued, and her bravery inspired others.