The patient was not eligible for a heart and kidney dual transplant because of several chronic medical conditions
A hospital in the USA has become the first ever to do a combined mechanical heart pump and gene-edited pig kidney transplant surgery. The surgery was performed on a 54-year-old resident of New Jersey who could not undergo a double transplant because of several chronic medical conditions.
In a statement, the hospital, NYU Langone said that the doctors performed the feat in two stages: first surgically implanting the heart pump days before embarking on the landmark transplant, which included a gene-edited pig kidney and a pig’s thymus gland to aid against rejection.
Before the procedure, patient Lisa Pisano, faced heart failure and end-stage kidney disease that required routine dialysis.
“All I want is the opportunity to have a better life,” she said. “After I was ruled out for a human transplant, I learned I didn’t have a lot of time left. My doctors thought there may be a chance I could be approved to receive a gene-edited pig kidney, so I discussed it with my family and my husband. He has been by my side throughout this ordeal and wants me to be better.”
The hospital claimed that there is no documented instances of anyone with a mechanical heart pump receiving an organ transplant of any kind. It is only the second transplant of a gene-edited pig kidney into a living person, and the first with the thymus combined.
“It is incredible to consider the scientific achievements that have led to our ability to save Lisa’s life, and what we are endeavoring to do as a society for everyone in need of a lifesaving organ,” said Robert Montgomery, MD, DPhil, who led the transplant surgery and who is the H. Leon Pachter, MD, Professor of Surgery; chair of the Department of Surgery; and director of the NYU Langone Transplant Institute. “This could not have been done without the dedication and skill of the many talented physicians, researchers, nurses, health administrators, and perioperative care teams at NYU Langone Health, and the numerous pioneers who came before us.”