2nd Pig Kidney Transplant Recipient Gets Organ Removed 47 Days Post-Operation, Undergoes Dialysis Again

Lisa Pisano, the world's second pig kidney transplant, had her gradually failing organ surgically removed 47 days after she underwent the operation.

She is reportedly stable after undergoing the organ removal transplant.

surgery — (Photo: Pixabay / Ahmad Ardity )

2nd Pig Kidney Transplant Patient Gets Organ Removed

Pisano was the second-ever recipient of the xenotransplant. The first patient, Richard Slayman, passed away in early May. This was just two months after he underwent the novel pig kidney transplant.

According to doctors, there was no proof that Slayman passed away due to the transplant.

As for Pisano, her kidneys and heart were failing when doctors carried on a pioneering surgery wherein a mechanical pump was implanted to maintain her heartbeat. A pig kidney transplantation procedure was then executed.

She appeared to be recovering well at first. However, according to Dr. Robert Montgomery, who led the procedure, managing both the pig kidney and the heart pump presented unique difficulties. On multiple occasions, Pisano's blood pressure reached extremely low levels to allow optimal blood to flow into the pig kidney.

In a statement, Dr. Montgomery said the kidney lost its function until doctors could no longer justify keeping Pisano on immune-suppressing medications.

Though her kidney biopsy did not reveal any rejection signs, which is the primary concern when it comes to xenotransplants, there was a remarkable injury because of the lack of blood flow.

The explanted kidney will undergo further study to unravel how it reacted and worked in a living human.

Pisano shared that she knew the xenotransplant could not work, but she still took the chance.

As for her heart pump, it maintains its function.

ALSO READ: Woman Receives Pig Kidney Transplant, Heart Device Implant in First-of-Its-Kind Life-Saving Operation To Help Her With Her Two Terminal Diseases

Organ Shortage Crisis

The demand for organs greatly overwhelms the available supply. Each day, up to 17 individuals in the US end up dying as they wait for an organ. Among other organs, kidneys have the lowest supply.

The Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network noted that around 27,000 kidneys were transplanted in 2023. However, around 89,000 individuals were on the waiting list for such organs.

According to experts, xenotransplants—the transplantation of animal organs into humans — could play a crucial role in solving the crisis of organ shortage. Several experts from the field also shared that work will continue despite the setbacks they face.

The process also involves gene editing, which accurately edits a pig's DNA to prevent the human body from seeing it as foreign and ultimately rejecting it.

In the case of Pisano, her doctors were granted permission by the US Food and Drug Administration to conduct the novel procedure under the "compassionate use" guidelines. This policy allows terminally ill individuals who do not have other options access to experimental medical products beyond clinical trials.

The kidney transplant was from a pig that was genetically engineered to disrupt a gene that handles sugar production, known as the alpha-gal. This gene can be found on animal cell surfaces and can be acknowledged and attacked by human antibodies.