Woman who received pig kidney transplant in April dies

(CNN) – A woman who received a pig kidney transplant earlier this year died on Sunday at the age of 54.

Lisa Pisano underwent surgery for the transplant at NYU Langone Health in April.

However, the organ was removed in late May after it failed due to limited blood flow.

Pisano was the second-known living person to receive a gene-edited pig kidney.

With a shortage of available donor organs, experts said organs from other species could offer a solution to the shortage.

Doctors only perform the transplants in rare cases with permission from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

The FDA allows experimental treatments for terminally ill patients who have run out of treatment options.

In Pisano’s case, she had been unable to qualify for a standard transplant due to heart failure and end-stage kidney disease.

A spokesperson for NYU Langone Health applauded Pisano’s bravery, saying she gave hope to thousands of people living with heart failure and end-stage kidney disease who could benefit from alternative organs.

Pisano was the first person to receive a mechanical heart pump along with a gene-edited pig kidney.

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