Lisa Pisano, the first person to undergo a combined pig kidney and mechanical heart pump transplant, passed away three months after the groundbreaking surgeries.

Pisano underwent the procedures in April and initially showed signs of recovery, but her health declined, and she died on Sunday, July 7, as announced by her surgeon.

The pig kidney had to be removed 47 days post-surgery due to damage from her heart medications. Despite being placed back on dialysis and continuing with the heart pump, Pisano's condition worsened, leading her to hospice care, stated Dr. Robert Montgomery, a transplant surgeon at NYU Langone, on Tuesday, July 9.

"Lisa helped bring us closer to realizing a future where someone does not have to die for another person to live," Montgomery said. "She will forever be remembered for her courage and good nature."

Pisano, from New Jersey, suffered from end-stage kidney disease and heart failure when she received the gene-edited pig kidney and heart pump in a New York hospital. "All I want is the opportunity to have a better life," she said at the time.

"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."

Pisano was not a suitable candidate for a human kidney and heart transplant due to the shortage of organ donations and her chronic health issues. Despite knowing the risks, Pisano, 54, decided to take the chance. "Worst case scenario, if it didn’t work for me, it might have worked for someone else," she had said.

Pisano was the second person to receive a kidney from a gene-edited pig, following Richard Slayman, who underwent the procedure at Massachusetts General Hospital in March. Slayman passed away in early May from preexisting heart disease, unrelated to the transplant.

Both surgeries aimed to explore viable alternatives to human organ donations amid a severe shortage.