Man Spends 9 Months With Pig Kidney, Later Receives Human Organ In World-First Medical Milestone

In what doctors are calling a major breakthrough in organ transplantation, a 66-year-old man has lived for 271 days without dialysis after receiving a genetically modified pig kidney, marking the longest known period a living human has remained dialysis-free following a pig-to-human kidney transplant.

Tim Andrews, from New Hampshire, was suffering from end-stage kidney disease linked to type 2 diabetes when he underwent the pioneering procedure in the United States in January 2025. The genetically engineered organ was taken from a Yucatan miniature pig and modified to make it more compatible with the human immune system.

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For Andrews, the experimental transplant was never intended to be a permanent replacement. Instead, doctors viewed the pig kidney as a temporary bridge that could keep him alive and functioning while he waited for a suitable human organ.

The approach ultimately allowed Andrews to spend months without undergoing dialysis, offering researchers valuable insight into the potential of animal organs for patients facing the global shortage of donor kidneys.

After living with the pig kidney for 271 days, Andrews eventually developed problems with the organ. Damage to its blood vessels progressed and the kidney ultimately stopped functioning. Doctors removed the pig organ, after which Andrews underwent a short period of dialysis before receiving a kidney from a deceased human donor in January 2026.

His case is being regarded as significant not only because of the length of time he survived with the genetically modified organ, but also because he became the first reported living patient to successfully transition from a pig kidney transplant to a human kidney transplant.

Despite the experimental nature of the treatment, Andrews said the transplant dramatically changed his quality of life. Speaking in a CNN documentary, he described the experience as a “miracle” and recalled how different life felt once he was no longer dependent on dialysis.

While the pig kidney eventually failed, doctors and researchers believe the case could provide important information for the future of xenotransplantation, the use of animal organs in humans.