Surgeons at New York University Langone Health have pioneered a groundbreaking medical procedure, implanting a gene-edited pig kidney and a mechanical heart pump into Lisa Pisano, a 54-year-old from New Jersey battling terminal heart and kidney disease. This dual operation marks a significant first in the medical field.
Initially, the medical team installed the heart pump to stabilize Pisano’s condition. Days later, they proceeded with the transplant of the pig kidney and the pig’s thymus gland. This gland is crucial as it produces white blood cells that boost the immune system, crucial for helping Pisano’s body accept the new organ, as per NPR reports.
Dr. Nader Moazami, who heads the division of heart and lung transplantation at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, outlined the urgency of the situation.
“Without the possibility of a kidney transplant, [Pisano] would not have been eligible as a candidate for a [Left Ventricular Assist Device] LVAD due to the high mortality in patients on dialysis with heart pumps,” Moazami explained.
Pisano was in a dire situation, grappling with both heart failure and end-stage kidney disease, making her ineligible for a standard heart-kidney transplant due to her complex health profile. This innovative surgery offered her a lifeline.
Pisano said she had “exhausted” all other options, so she immediately jumped at the idea of the remarkable new procedure.
“My first thought was: ‘Wow, I can’t even believe that was even possible.’ So when it was brought to my attention I was like, ‘You know what? I’m going to try it. […] I have to do it — for myself and for the rest of my family,’” Pisano said.
Dr. Robert Montgomery, the director of NYU’s Langone Transplant Institute and Pisano’s lead surgeon, emphasized the operation’s novelty and potential to set new precedents in transplant and treatment options for patients with multiple organ failure.
This pioneering procedure not only offers new hope for extending and enhancing the quality of life for patients like Pisano, but also opens the door to future advancements in organ transplantation and mechanical support systems.
