Rob Stein

But the patients in those cases were gravely ill with many other health problems and only survived weeks or maybe months. But like I said earlier, this is the first transplant of this specific kind of genetically modified pig kidney into a living person.

But the patients in those cases were gravely ill with many other health problems and only survived weeks or maybe months. But like I said earlier, this is the first transplant of this specific kind of genetically modified pig kidney into a living person.

But the patients in those cases were gravely ill with many other health problems and only survived weeks or maybe months. But like I said earlier, this is the first transplant of this specific kind of genetically modified pig kidney into a living person.

Yeah, that's right. In fact, the company's in conversation with the FDA to get approval for this right now, but it hasn't happened yet. So this was an exception to the FDA's usual requirements. It's called a compassionate use case, which, you know, gives patients who are desperately ill and basically have no other options access to experimental treatments.

Yeah, that's right. In fact, the company's in conversation with the FDA to get approval for this right now, but it hasn't happened yet. So this was an exception to the FDA's usual requirements. It's called a compassionate use case, which, you know, gives patients who are desperately ill and basically have no other options access to experimental treatments.

Yeah, that's right. In fact, the company's in conversation with the FDA to get approval for this right now, but it hasn't happened yet. So this was an exception to the FDA's usual requirements. It's called a compassionate use case, which, you know, gives patients who are desperately ill and basically have no other options access to experimental treatments.

And Tawana has an especially sensitive immune system, so doctors knew her body would reject a human kidney.

And Tawana has an especially sensitive immune system, so doctors knew her body would reject a human kidney.

And Tawana has an especially sensitive immune system, so doctors knew her body would reject a human kidney.

But in the operating room, everyone was pretty optimistic.

But in the operating room, everyone was pretty optimistic.

But in the operating room, everyone was pretty optimistic.

That's the lead surgeon, Dr. Robert Montgomery. I watched as an anesthesiologist put Tawana under... Everybody ready? Ready. And then the surgical team got to work. Robert, the surgeon, made an incision in Tawana's lower abdomen to begin painstakingly preparing a spot to implant the pig kidney.

That's the lead surgeon, Dr. Robert Montgomery. I watched as an anesthesiologist put Tawana under... Everybody ready? Ready. And then the surgical team got to work. Robert, the surgeon, made an incision in Tawana's lower abdomen to begin painstakingly preparing a spot to implant the pig kidney.

That's the lead surgeon, Dr. Robert Montgomery. I watched as an anesthesiologist put Tawana under... Everybody ready? Ready. And then the surgical team got to work. Robert, the surgeon, made an incision in Tawana's lower abdomen to begin painstakingly preparing a spot to implant the pig kidney.

Yeah, it was all very dramatic. You know, because as this was happening, the screen on the wall shows the helicopter approaching NYU Langone Health with the pig kidneys. The chopper swooped through the clear blue sky along the East River and sets down on the helipad.

Yeah, it was all very dramatic. You know, because as this was happening, the screen on the wall shows the helicopter approaching NYU Langone Health with the pig kidneys. The chopper swooped through the clear blue sky along the East River and sets down on the helipad.

Yeah, it was all very dramatic. You know, because as this was happening, the screen on the wall shows the helicopter approaching NYU Langone Health with the pig kidneys. The chopper swooped through the clear blue sky along the East River and sets down on the helipad.

The arriving crew places a white box about the size of a microwave oven that contains the pig's two kidneys on a wheelchair and rushes it into the operating room.

The arriving crew places a white box about the size of a microwave oven that contains the pig's two kidneys on a wheelchair and rushes it into the operating room.