Doctors at NYU Langone Hospital recently performed a revolutionary surgery on Lisa Pisano, 54, from New Jersey. Pisano suffers from heart failure and end-stage kidney disease, requiring regular hemodialysis. On April 4th, she received a mechanical heart pump to help treat her weak heart. Four days later, on April 12th, she underwent a gene-edited pig kidney transplant.
Pisano was willing to explore all treatment options available to her due to her deteriorating health condition. This procedure marks the first reported organ transplant using a mechanical heart pump and the second instance of a live pig kidney transplant in a human. Another patient who underwent a similar procedure, Rick Slayman, has been discharged from Massachusetts General Hospital in good health.
Dr. Robert Montgomery, the director of NYU Langone Transplant Institute, led Pisano’s surgery and emphasized the urgency of the procedure given her poor health condition. Pisano had a complex medical history that included previous diagnoses of colon cancer and the necessity for a urinary catheter. Her situation was further complicated by underlying health conditions that prevented her from receiving organ transplants through conventional means.
The innovative procedure involved a genetically modified pig kidney that had its alpha-gal sugar gene disrupted to prevent rejection by the immune system. Dr. Montgomery explained that this approach simplifies the gene editing process for living organ transplants and addresses the challenges of organ scarcity. While Pisano still has a long road to recovery ahead, her kidneys and heart are functioning better post-surgery, and doctors are monitoring her progress closely.
Pisano shared that she had struggled to walk and breathe before the surgery but now feels a significant improvement in her quality of life. The medical community is closely watching the outcomes of these pioneering procedures to potentially expand access to life-saving treatments for patients with no other alternatives.
In conclusion, doctors at NYU Langone Hospital have performed groundbreaking surgery on Lisa Pisano involving a mechanical heart pump and pig kidney transplant on living patient for the first time in America. The patient expressed willingness to explore all treatment options available due to deteriorating health condition which marked as first reported organ transplant using mechanical heart pump and second instance of live pig kidney transplant in human.
Dr Robert Montgomery led Pisano’s surgery emphasizing urgency given poor health condition which involved complex medical history including previous diagnoses of colon cancer and necessity for urinary catheter further complicating underlying health conditions preventing conventional means organ transplants.
Innovative procedure involved genetically modified pig kidney having alpha-gal sugar gene disrupted addressing challenges of organ scarcity simplifying gene editing process for living organ transplants while post-surgery Pisano’s kidneys functioning better than before while still long road recovery ahead.
Medical community closely watching outcomes potential expanding access life-saving treatments patients with no other alternatives