Medical Landmark / Harvard Doctors Achieve World’s First Long‑Term Pig Kidney Transplant

Boston, Sep 5: In a groundbreaking medical achievement, doctors at Harvard Medical School successfully kept a patient alive for 271 days using a genetically modified pig kidney before a human donor organ became available.

The patient, Tim Andrews, was suffering from end‑stage kidney failure and had been dependent on dialysis. In January 2025, doctors transplanted a genetically edited pig kidney into his body after no human donor was immediately available.

Remarkably, the organ functioned normally for nearly nine months, allowing Andrews to live without dialysis until a human kidney was eventually transplanted.

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Doctors described the case as the first in the world where a pig kidney worked inside a human body for such an extended period.

“Organ shortage is the biggest challenge in transplantation. Xenotransplantation could be a lifeline for patients waiting for human donors,” said Dr. Leonardo Riella, one of the lead physicians.

Medical reports confirm the pig kidney began functioning immediately after surgery and sustained normal activity for months.

Around six months later, signs of vascular damage appeared, gradually worsening until the kidney failed. Doctors then removed the organ, but by that time Andrews had received a human kidney transplant.

Experts say the case demonstrates the potential of xenotransplantation — using animal organs to bridge the gap until human donors are available. While not a permanent solution, the success highlights a major step forward in tackling global organ shortages.