In a groundbreaking medical breakthrough, a 54-year-old woman with heart and kidney failure has successfully undergone the first-ever combined mechanical heart pump and gene-edited pig kidney transplant. The surgery, performed by surgeons at New York University Langone Health, offers hope to patients like her who are not candidates for human transplants.

Lisa Pisano, a resident of New Jersey, had been struggling with severe heart and kidney failure, requiring regular dialysis. Traditional treatment options were not viable for her, and she began to lose hope. However, she was given a new lease on life when she became a candidate for the innovative transplant procedure. Speaking to CBS News, Pisano expressed her gratitude for the opportunity: "I was pretty much done. I couldn't go up the stairs. I couldn't drive. I couldn't play with my grandkids. So when this opportunity came to me I was taking it."

The surgery, which took place earlier this month, involved the implantation of a left ventricular assist device (LVAD), a mechanical heart pump, eight days before the transplant surgery. This marks the second known transplant of a gene-edited pig kidney into a living person and the first to include the pig's thymus gland to aid in preventing rejection, according to NYU Langone Health.

Dr. Robert Montgomery, the director of NYU Langone Transplant Institute, stated that Pisano is currently "doing very well" in her recovery. The successful outcome of this procedure provides hope for future patients in need of organ transplants.

This groundbreaking procedure builds upon previous achievements in the field of xenotransplantation, which involves using genetic modification to enhance compatibility between animal organs and humans to minimize rejection. The human immune system commonly rejects organs from animals, but Dr. Montgomery and his team altered one gene in the pig kidney to increase compatibility, paving the way for a successful transplant.

It is worth noting that this procedure was performed under the Food and Drug Administration's "compassionate use" protocol, highlighting the significance and potential of such innovative medical treatments.

This remarkable milestone in medical science follows the historic pig kidney transplant conducted by surgeons at Boston's Massachusetts General Hospital, where a pig kidney was successfully transplanted into a 62-year-old patient. These advancements offer hope for patients with dire organ failure, providing a potential solution to the shortage of suitable human donor organs.

As the field of xenotransplantation continues to progress, more lives may be saved, and patients like Lisa Pisano can regain their freedom and quality of life. The successful combination of a mechanical heart pump and a gene-edited pig kidney has opened doors for future medical advancements, pushing the boundaries of what is possible in the world of organ transplantation.