- By Shivangi Sharma
- Tue, 28 Oct 2025 06:11 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
In a landmark case for medical science, a New Hampshire man who survived 271 days with a genetically modified pig kidney has had the organ removed due to declining function. The patient, 67-year-old Tim Andrews, is now returning to dialysis but remains on the transplant waiting list for a human kidney. Despite the setback, doctors say his experience marks an unprecedented milestone in xenotransplantation, the practice of transplanting animal organs into humans.
Andrews, a retired engineer, struggled with diabetes since the 1990s and was diagnosed with end-stage kidney disease about three years ago. Dialysis kept him alive, but the gruelling treatment, six-hour sessions, three times a week, left him drained and anxious about his future.
Understanding the risks, Andrews volunteered for the experimental transplant earlier this year, hoping it could extend his life and help shape a new path for thousands of kidney-failure patients facing long wait times for donor organs.
The surgery, conducted by a transplant team at Mass General Brigham, was the first to demonstrate that a gene-edited pig kidney could support a human body for such a prolonged period. For more than nine months, the organ functioned well enough to free Andrews from the routine of dialysis. “I felt alive again,” he wrote in a Facebook post describing the relief and hope the transplant had brought him.
Why The Kidney Was Removed
Doctors decided to remove the pig kidney on October 23 after observing a steady decline in its performance. Hospital officials clarified that Andrews’ condition prompted the decision, not any sudden crisis with the transplant. He is now recovering and preparing to resume dialysis while continuing to await a human donor match. Though the organ ultimately failed, the medical team views the operation as groundbreaking.
“Tim Andrews is a selfless medical pioneer and an inspiration,” surgeons said, adding that his participation provides invaluable scientific data for future animal-to-human transplant efforts.
Lessons, Gratitude And Hero Named Wilma
The experimental treatment also involved new drug therapies that brought unexpected side effects. Still, Andrews expressed pride in the contribution he made to medical research. In a heartfelt message, he thanked the pig, affectionately named “Wilma”, whose kidney gave him nearly a year of improved life.
“She is a major part of this medical breakthrough and a major part of my soul as long as I live,” he wrote. “I LOVE YOU WILMA! Donate a kidney and be a HERO!”
