The pig-heart-valve-skeleton-with-human-heart-valve-cells was then successfully transplanted into an immune-compromised rat. It lasted for two months, a duration that Wang says is equivalent to ...

Pig heart valves have been used as replacements in humans since the 1960s, but in those cases, the tissue is chemically treated to kill off the cells including the alpha-gal sugar. Presumably ...

Mechanical valves last longer, but blood can clot on them. A patient may need long-term medication that prevents blood clots developing. Biological valves are more likely to wear out.