US Woman Makes History as Longest-Living Recipient of Pig Kidney Transplant

In a groundbreaking medical achievement, 53-year-old Towana Looney from Alabama has become the longest-living recipient of a gene-edited pig kidney transplant. As of February 2025, she continues to recover well, marking a significant milestone in organ transplantation.

After spending eight years on dialysis, Towana learned about xenotransplantation and volunteered for the highly experimental procedure. On November 25, 2024, she underwent surgery at NYU Langone Health in New York. The operation, led by transplant expert Dr. Robert Montgomery, was a success, with the pig kidney functioning immediately after transplantation.

Reflecting on her experience, Towana expressed her gratitude:

"I'm overjoyed, I'm blessed to have received this gift, this second chance at life." 

Her recovery has been promising. She reported feeling much healthier and more energetic since the transplant. Discharged just 11 days after surgery, she was briefly readmitted for medication adjustments but is now stable and expected to return home to Alabama soon.

This success contrasts with previous cases where patients faced challenges. In March 2024, Richard Slayman, 62, became the first person to receive a pig kidney transplant but passed away nearly two months later from unrelated causes. Similarly, 54-year-old Lisa Pisano underwent the procedure in late 2024 but later died due to complications not directly linked to the transplant.

Xenotransplantation—the transplantation of organs, tissues, or cells from one species to another, often from animals to humans—aims to address the severe organ shortage. While advances in genetic engineering are making it a more viable option, challenges like immune rejection still remain. Even if transplants like Towana’s prove successful long-term, widespread use could take a number of years. For now, the best option for over 6,250 people in the UK awaiting a kidney transplant is to receive an organ from a living or deceased human donor.

Register your decision on the NHS Organ Donor Register.

Photos by Joe Carrotta for NYU Langone Health.

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