Pig organ transplant patient feels like 'superwoman' two months after record-breaking operation

The woman who has set the record for being the longest living recipient of a pig organ transplant said she feels like a "superwoman" two months after the historic operation.

Towana Looney, from Alabama, US, has revealed that she is healthy and full of energy after receiving a kidney transplant from a pig 64 days ago on Monday, November 25, 2025. The successful operation is a huge step forward into research surrounding animal-to-human transplants.

Towana says she feels like "superwoman" as she continues her recovery in New York City by taking long walks with her family. She also shared that she has a "new take on life" since receiving the surgery.

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Only four other Americans have received this hugely experimental transplant before with gene-edited pig organs. Two hearts and two kidneys have been transplanted, but sadly none of the patients lived more than two months. Towana's positive recovery is very encouraging for everyone involved.

As reported in MedicalXpress, Dr. Robert Montgomery of NYU Langone Health, who led Towana's transplant, said: "If you saw her on the street, you would have no idea that she's the only person in the world walking around with a pig organ inside them that's functioning."

Towana's kidney function has been reported as "absolutely normal" and doctors hope she can leave New York for her home in Gadsden, Alabama, in another month. Montgomery added: "We're quite optimistic that this is going to continue to work and work well for, you know, a significant period of time."

Scientists are focusing more on animal-to-human transplants as there is a severe shortage of transplantable human organs. In Scotland, over 500 people are waiting at any given time for an organ to become available for the transplant they desperately need.

The process involves genetically altering pigs so their organs are more human-like. At the moment, these organs are only being used in "compassionate use" cases - experiments that the Food and Drug Administration have allowed in very special circumstances for people out of other options.

In preparation for the world's first formal studies of xenotransplantation - transplanting organs, tissues or cells from an animal to a human - hospitals who are trying these experiments are sharing information of what has and hasn't worked.

Towana's experience is very important to the future studies as she is reported to be far healthier than the prior patients. Therefore, her progress will help inform any future attempts.

In 1999, Towana donated her kidney to her mother, and her other kidney later failed due to high blood pressure caused by pregnancy complications. After spending eight years on dialysis, and developing a super-high level of antibodies which were abnormally primed to attack another human kidney, the doctors concluded that she was unlikely to ever receive a donated organ.

Upon hearing this news, the 53-year-old sought out the pig experiment. However, no one knew if it would work in someone "highly sensitized" with those overactive antibodies. Towana's surgery took place on November 25, and she was discharged 11 days later.

Montgomery's team closely tracked her recovery through blood tests and other measurements. Three weeks after the transplant, the team noticed signs that the transplant was being rejected. They were aware of these signs because of experiments done on a deceased man's body, which managed to have a functioning pig kidney inside it for 61 days.

Towana was successfully treated and there has been no signs of rejection since. During her recovery, Towana has become somewhat of an ambassador for people who are sharing their distress about how long they are waiting for transplants and considering the pig transplant.

One person she has talked to has been considered for a xenotransplant at another hospital, but is unsure if they should proceed or not. Towana didn't want to persuade him either way, so when she found out he was religious she said "go off your faith, what your heart tells you."

Sadly, there is no way to predict how long the transplant will work for Towana, but if it does fail she could be able to receive dialysis again. Montgomery said: "The truth is we don't really know what the next hurdles are because this is the first time we've gotten this far. We'll have to continue to really keep a close eye on her."

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