Woman who received pig kidney transplant, heart pump has died

WASHINGTON — A woman who received a pig kidney transplant — along with an implanted device to keep her heart beating – has died, her surgeon announced Tuesday.

Lisa Pisano was near death from kidney and heart failure when surgeons at NYU Langone Health performed the dramatic pair of surgeries in April. The New Jersey woman initially seemed to be recovering well but about 47 days later, doctors had to remove the pig kidney and put Pisano back on dialysis after the organ was damaged by her heart medications.