An Alabama woman is recovering after receiving a pig kidney transplant last month, freeing her from eight years of dialysis.
Reported by UNN with reference to The Associated Press.
Tawana Looney, a resident of Alabama, is the fifth American woman to receive a gene-edited organ transplant. The woman has been on dialysis for eight years. Currently, Looney has undergone an experimental pig kidney transplant. It is noted that the organ was subjected to laboratory procedures to make it more human-like before it could be used for transplantation.
According to Dr. Robert Montgomery of NYU Langone Health, who led the highly experimental procedure, said the surgery “marks an important step in the field of xenotransplantation.” Looney was discharged from the hospital 11 days after the surgery last month.
It's like a new beginning. After the surgery, I felt energetic. To have a functioning kidney and to feel this way is incredible
He continued his recovery in a neighboring apartment, with doctors monitoring the process.
Looney is recovering well from her transplant, which was announced on Tuesday. Doctors expect her to return home to Alabama in three months. But if the pig's kidney fails, she could start dialysis again.
Recall
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