My late step-dad had a bovine heart valve replacement. Gave us a few more precious years with him. Good man.
I heard Robin Williams on Craig Ferguson’s late night show once saying he had a bovine heart valve implanted.
I believe his valves were damaged by childhood rheumatic fever, an autoimmune disease triggered by streptococcus A.
Rejection is the primary reason transplants fail, the creation of a nano-tech artificial immune system is a holy grail of trans-humanists and would be a huge step forward for implants of all sorts and a breakthrough for type-1 physical immortality.
A former co-worker, young guy in his 20s, had a pig heart valve installed due to a congenital defect. Last I knew, he was doing fine.
A good friend of mine, now gone a long time past, had a heart valve that had been replaced with a valve from a pigs heart. I became acquainted with him when he relocated upon retirement in the early 90’s . Other than taking a blood thinner he was as fit and able as most his age. A friend cherished and missed with fond remembrances.
Bless that pig’s heart and his too.