As organ failure is one of the most common causes of death in the United States and around the world, medical researchers have been working tirelessly to find an alternative solution to organ donation.
One experiment that has gained significant traction over the years is the use of gene-modified animal organs, such as pig kidneys and hearts. However, while four people have opted for the experimental surgery, all four have since passed away. Now, researchers want to find out why.
More Than 17 People Die Waiting for an Organ Every Day
According to the US Health Resources and Services Administration, there are more than 100,000 people currently waiting for an organ transplant in the United States alone.
The organization reports that, on average, 17 people die every single day waiting for the organ they need to survive. Sadly, there simply aren’t enough viable human organs to save those who so desperately need them.
There Are Even More Patients Who Don’t Qualify for Transplants
Additionally, there are thousands more Americans who are experiencing organ failure but do not qualify for the transplant list because of their specific illness, medical history, or lifestyle choices.
Therefore, medical researchers around the world believe that, by finding a way to transplant animal organs into human bodies, they will not only be able to save the lives of those waiting on the transplant list but even those who were rejected from that list, totalling tens of thousands of lives every year.
The First 4 Patients to Receive Pig Organs
While many animals were considered for this experiment, medical researchers decided that the best possible option was pigs. These animals actually have quite a similar anatomy to humans, not to mention the fact that they are very easy to breed and produce large litters.
In 2022, the first pig heart was transplanted into a human body at the University of Maryland. Only one year later, they transplanted another pig heart into the second patient. That same year, another patient received a kidney, and in April 2024, the fourth patient received her very own pig kidney.
Both Pig Heart Transplant Recipients Died Within Two Months
The first transplant recipient, David Bennett, died just two months after the groundbreaking experiment. Then, the second patient to receive a pig heart, Lawrence Faucette, passed away only six weeks after the surgery.
Initially, both patients showed signs of improvement, but they quickly declined. Even now, two years later, researchers are trying to find out exactly why their experiment didn’t work as they thought it would.
The First Ever Pig Kidney Transplant
After two failed heart transplants, doctors decided to try a kidney instead. Richard “Rick” Slayman received the surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital in March 2024, but sadly, like those who came before him, he was dead within just two months.
However, doctors weren’t ready to give up on this potentially life-changing surgery, and in April 2024, they transplanted yet another pig kidney into a fourth patient.
Lisa Pisano: The Most Recent Patient to Pass Away
Lisa Pisano had been rejected from the transplant list because of her failing heart, so she decided to risk it all and have two surgeries in a week – one to fix her heart and another to replace her kidney with a pig kidney.
At first, it seemed as though Pisano was doing extremely well with her new kidney. Her husband, Todd Pisano, told the press at the time, “With this surgery, I get to see my wife smile again.” But devastatingly, Pisano passed away several weeks later on May 29th.
All Four Patients Would Have Passed Away Without the Surgery
While everyone, including the doctors who performed the surgery, the researchers working on it, and the families of those who lost their lives, are devastated by the results, they all understand that these four patients would have passed away even sooner without the surgery.
Rick Slayman’s family explained, “[The surgery] gave our family seven more weeks with Rick, and our memories made during that time will remain in our minds and hearts.”
These Patients Are Truly Heroes
While the surgeries were able to give four families a few more weeks with their loved ones, they also drastically helped doctors and medical researchers in understanding the possible side effects and complications with the surgery.
Pisano said during an interview directly after the procedure that, even if the organ transplant didn’t save her life, “at least somebody is going to benefit from it.” And doctors agree: The brave and heroic actions of these four patients will likely save thousands of lives.
Bringing Doctors Closer to a Successful Pig Organ Transplant
Dr. Robert Montgomery, director of the NYU Langone Transplant Institute and the surgeon who implanted Pisano with the pig kidney, said in a statement, “Lisa’s contributions to medicine, surgery, and xenotransplantation cannot be overstated.”
He continued, “Lisa helped bring us closer to realizing a future where someone does not have to die for another person to live.”
Researchers Will Continue to Work on Perfecting Pig Organs to Save Lives
Even though all four patients died from the surgery, medical researchers are not going to stop their work on the experimental procedure.
Because the pigs need to be genetically altered to evade human antibodies, it’s highly likely that the researchers will spend the next few months or even years finding ways to perfect this process so the next patient’s body accepts the organ.
Are Pig Organ Transplants the Future?
Medical research and the constant advancement of technology are allowing doctors to save more lives than ever before.
Many hope that, even with these less-than-ideal initial results, pig organ transplants could be the future of transplant medicine, saving millions of lives within the next generation.
