When Lisa Pisano’s health began to deteriorate due to heart and kidney failure and she could no longer do daily activities like driving or playing with her grandkids, she knew something had to change. Her physician, Dr. Robert Montgomery, and his team from NYU Langone Transplant Institute decided to proceed with an experimental surgery to save her life.
In a first-of-its-kind procedure, Pisano underwent a groundbreaking procedure where she received a genetically modified pig kidney transplant and a mechanical heart pump. Despite facing two cardiac arrests before the surgery, the New Jersey grandma's condition improved dramatically after the operation. The innovative operation proved successful, restoring her kidney to a healthy state and effectively saving her life.
Following the surgery, Pisano expressed gratitude for the second chance at life and said she’s excited about the prospect of being able to play with her grandchildren again. She’s only the second person to ever have received a pig kidney, and the first to have one at the same time as a mechanical heart pump. Her procedure marks a significant advancement in medical science, offering hope to thousands of individuals suffering from organ failure.
Source: CBS NEWS