Towana Looney lived with the kidney longer than any other transplant patient had tolerated an organ from a genetically modified animal.

Surgeons removed a genetically engineered pig’s kidney from an Alabama woman after she experienced acute organ rejection, NYU Langone Health officials said on Friday.

Towana Looney, 53, lived with the kidney for 130 days, which is longer than anyone else has tolerated an organ from a genetically modified animal. She has resumed dialysis, hospital officials said.

Dr. Robert Montgomery, Ms. Looney’s surgeon and the director of the NYU Langone Transplant Institute, said that the so-called explant was not a setback for the field of xenotransplantation — the effort to use organs from animals to replace those that have failed in humans.

“This is the longest one of these organs has lasted,” he said in an interview, adding that Ms. Looney had other medical conditions that might have complicated her prognosis.

“All this takes time,” he said. “This game is going to be won by incremental improvements, singles and doubles, not trying to swing for the fences and get a home run.”

Further treatment of Ms. Looney might have salvaged the organ, but she and her medical team decided against it, Dr. Montgomery said.