Additional Coverage:
- Alabama woman who is only person in the world with a functioning pig organ reaches record 2-month milestone (foxnews.com)
Gadsden, Alabama resident Towana Looney, 53, has reached a medical milestone, becoming the longest-surviving recipient of a pig organ transplant. She recently marked 61 days with a functioning pig kidney. Looney described herself as “superwoman” and said the transplant has given her “a new take on life.”
Looney is the only living recipient of a genetically modified pig organ. Four other Americans have received similar experimental transplants, but none survived more than two months.
Dr. Robert Montgomery of NYU Langone Health, who led Looney’s transplant, stated that her kidney function is normal.
Looney is temporarily residing in New York for post-transplant care, but doctors hope she can return home to Alabama within a month. They are optimistic about the long-term success of the transplant.
This groundbreaking procedure offers hope for the over 100,000 Americans on organ transplant waiting lists. The majority of those waiting need a kidney, and many die before receiving one. Currently, pig organ transplants are only permitted in special circumstances by the Food and Drug Administration, reserved for patients with no other options.
Experts in the field are closely following Looney’s progress. Dr.
Tatsuo Kawai of Massachusetts General Hospital called Looney’s case a “very precious experience” that will provide invaluable insights for future transplants. He noted that Looney was in better health pre-transplant than previous recipients, which may have contributed to her success.
Looney’s journey to this point has been challenging. She donated a kidney to her mother in 1999.
Later, pregnancy complications led to high blood pressure and kidney failure. After eight years on dialysis, doctors determined she was unlikely to receive a human kidney transplant due to a high level of antibodies.
She then volunteered for the experimental pig kidney transplant.
The transplant team carefully monitored Looney’s recovery. About three weeks post-surgery, they detected early signs of rejection, similar to what was observed in a previous experiment. However, they successfully treated the rejection, and no further signs have appeared.
While the future is uncertain, Looney could return to dialysis if the pig kidney fails. Dr. Montgomery acknowledges the unknown challenges ahead, emphasizing the need for continued close monitoring.