Tim Andrews, a 68‑year‑old retired grocery store manager from Barrington, New Hampshire, became the first person to live 271 days without dialysis after receiving a pig kidney. The transplant was performed at Mass General Brigham in Boston on January 25, 2025, and the case was detailed in a study published Thursday in The Lancet.
Record‑breaking survival
Andrews entered the experimental program with end‑stage kidney failure and was told his prognosis was poor. He agreed to the xenotransplant in the hope that the data would help researchers, saying, “I didn’t think I was going to live through it… but I wanted to do it for humanity.” Over the subsequent 271 days he required no dialysis, a milestone described by the hospital as “the longest dialysis‑free survival following porcine kidney xenotransplantation in a living human and the first transition to human kidney transplantation.”
On the 272nd day Andrews received a human donor kidney, ending his period on the pig organ. Hospital officials reported that he has reacted well to the human transplant and is now enjoying everyday activities such as swimming, biking, fishing and even developing a taste for blueberries, a fruit his donor had liked.
Implications for organ shortage
Lead author Dr. Leonardo Riella, who discussed the procedure with Andrews, highlighted the broader significance of the case. He noted that the organ shortage is “the greatest crisis we have right now in transplantation,” with more than 100,000 people on the national waiting list, the majority awaiting a kidney. The study’s authors concluded that a transplanted pig kidney can safely support renal function while serving as a bridge to a subsequent human transplant.
Earlier xenotransplant attempts provide context. In 2024 Mass General performed the world’s first pig‑to‑human kidney transplant on Richard “Rick” Slayman, who lived 52 days before dying of cardiac causes unrelated to the graft; the kidney continued to function. Another patient, Towana Looney, lived 130 days with a pig kidney before it was removed in April 2025 due to rejection, and she remains on dialysis while awaiting a human donor.
Riella said the vision is for xenotransplantation to initially act as a bridge off dialysis and, as safety and durability are demonstrated, potentially become a destination therapy. He added that the timeline for broader viability has shifted from an earlier estimate of ten years to five years or less, a change Andrews believes he may live to see.
Patient perspective
Reflecting on his experience, Andrews said he now feels he could have “decades” left, describing his new outlook on life and the “little things” such as smelling flowers. He expressed gratitude toward the young donor whose kidney saved his life, noting, “To know that somebody died way younger and I’m living because of it, that’s pretty tough… I have this new kidney in me and I need to honor it.”
Andrews’ story illustrates how pig‑derived organs could buy patients time to find a matching human donor, potentially reducing the time spent on dialysis and improving quality of life for thousands awaiting transplantation.
Steve Lopez is a Senior Editorial Columnist and Health & Public Policy reporter for News Raise. Steve focuses on healthcare advancements, medical technologies, and public health policies.
