<p><span dir="auto">A unique feat has occurred in the history of medical science, offering renewed hope to doctors and kidney patients around the world. Doctors in the United States successfully transplanted a pig kidney into 66-year-old Tim Andrews. This pig kidney functioned successfully in the patient’s body for a record 271 days.</span></p>
<p><span dir="auto">This is the longest-lasting case of an animal organ functioning in a human body in medical history. A report detailing the entire process and its results has been published in the renowned medical journal The Lancet.</span></p>
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<h2 id="taboola-mid-article-personalisation-3184591" class="trc_related_container tbl-trecs-container trc_spotlight_widget"><strong>Tim Andrews Gets 9 Months Of Freedom From Dialysis</strong></h2>
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<p><span dir="auto">Patient Tim Andrews suffered from type 2 diabetes, which had completely damaged both of his kidneys. Doctors told him he would have to wait at least seven years to receive a human kidney. Patients on dialysis typically cannot wait that long. </span></p>
<p><span dir="auto">In such a difficult time, doctors at Massachusetts General Hospital advised him to undergo xenotransplantation, or transplanting an organ from an animal into a human. On January 25, 2025, doctors transplanted a pig kidney into Tim’s body. After this transplant, Tim did not need to go to the hospital for several months to have his blood cleaned with a dialysis machine, and he lived a normal life.</span></p>
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<h2><strong><span dir="auto">What Is Xenotransplantation</span></strong></h2>
<p><span dir="auto">When an animal’s organ, cell, or tissue is transplanted into a human body, this entire medical procedure is scientifically known as xenotransplantation. Doctors say that pigs are considered the most suitable animal for this procedure because of their resemblance to human organs.</span></p>
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<h2><strong><span dir="auto">Why Can Only Pig Kidneys Be Transplanted?</span></strong></h2>
<div class="n6owBd awi2gc" data-sfc-cp="" data-sfc-root="ep" data-hveid="CAAIDBAA" data-complete="true" data-processed="true" aria-owns="action-menu-parent-container" data-copy-service-computed-style="font-family: "Google Sans", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 400; margin: 12px 0px 16px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(230, 232, 240);"><span dir="auto">Pigs are considered the best animal for xenotransplantation because their organs are relatively compact and humans have years of experience raising them. However, this doesn’t mean you can simply go to a farm, remove a pig’s kidney, and implant it into a human body. The human immune system will immediately attack the foreign organ and destroy it within minutes.</span></div>
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<div class="n6owBd awi2gc" data-sfc-cp="" data-sfc-root="ep" data-hveid="<a title=" data-type="interlinkingkeywords"><span dir="auto">To avoid this problem, scientists specially bred the Yucatan miniature pig. Doctors made 69 specific genetic changes to the kidney genes of these pigs. These changes removed substances from the pig cells that the human immune system attacks. </span>
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<h2 class="css-1k9op6x e17x9cvu0" dir="ltr"><strong><span dir="auto">Why Did The Kidney Have To Be Removed After 271 Days?</span></strong></h2>
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<p><span dir="auto">In the first months after the transplant, Tim’s body was completely healthy. Initially, when the immune system tried to reject the organ, doctors managed the situation by adjusting his medications. But after about six months, the blood vessels in the pig’s kidney gradually became damaged, causing the organ to swell. In October 2025, the kidney stopped functioning, forcing doctors to surgically remove it.</span></p>
<h2><strong><span dir="auto">Pig’s Body Parts Served As A Bridge</span></strong></h2>
<p><span dir="auto">Dr. Leonardo Riela of the Center for Transplantation Sciences at Mass General Brigham stated that the pig kidney served as a bridge for the patient. After the pig kidney was removed, Tim needed to return to dialysis for only 82 days. Shortly thereafter, in January 2026, he received a human kidney from a deceased donor. According to doctors, the human kidney is now functioning well in Tim Andrews’ body.</span></p>
The post Pig Kidney Transplant In Humans: How Tim Andrews Lived 271 Days With An Animal Kidney appeared first on Doc Talk | Can Your AC Office Increase H1N1 Risk? Doctor Explains What Really Spreads Flu.
