Business

Pig kidney functioned for 271 days in patient

Tim Andrews, 66, received a pig kidney transplant due to his terminal kidney condition.

4 September 2026Tagblick Newsdesk

AI-generatedWritten by an AI system, editorially responsible — how we work

Archive photo: Pig kidney functioned for 271 days in patient — Archive photoPhoto: Apollo Hospitals · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

Tim Andrews, a 66-year-old man, was suffering from end-stage kidney disease as a result of type 2 diabetes, which led to kidney failure. The solution found was a pig kidney transplant, which functioned effectively for a period of 271 days in his body.

During this time, the pig kidney maintained its vital functions, allowing Tim Andrews to continue his life while awaiting a permanent solution. Throughout this period, it was also reported that Andrews was able to find a donor.

The transplantation of pig organs into humans represents a significant advancement in medicine, particularly for patients who need an organ quickly and are in critical condition, as was the case with Andrews.

Although it was a temporary success, the experience raises questions about the long-term viability of animal organs in humans and the associated ethical challenges. Nonetheless, Andrews' case is a significant milestone in the field of xenotransplantation.

This item was written by an AI system on the basis of the headlines and short teasers of the independently operating newsrooms named below. We disclose this under Art. 50(4), second subparagraph, of Regulation (EU) 2024/1689 (AI Act). Before publication we check origin and verifiability — anything that appears in only one place is not published — as well as language, substance and legally sensitive content. No separate substantive review of each individual item by a natural person takes place; we therefore do not rely on the exemption in Art. 50(4), second subparagraph, of the AI Act. Editorial responsibility for this publication rests with the person named in the imprint (§ 18 Abs. 2 MStV). Please report errors to [email protected] — we will correct or remove the item. Full reports are available from the sources listed.