All of us once had a hole in our heart.
Blood flows very differently through the body of a fetus compared to an adult’s.
From then on, the blood flows in a pattern common to almost all adults.
ADAM GAULT / SPL / Getty Images
This is actually pretty common and has been said to affect about one in five people.
Some physicians, however, believe that a PFO can increase therisk of stroke.
How Does It Work?
If a thrombus is present in the legs, anticoagulation with an agent like heparin or warfarin is preferred.
The second approach is to seal the PFO.
The most popular way of sealing a patent foramen ovale is with a percutaneous procedure.
Another method involves more invasive surgery.
Large studies of PFO closure in stroke show no benefit to either procedure.
Like any trial, CLOSURE 1 had flaws.
Such cases include a large atrial septal defect.
Furlan AJ, Reisman M, Massaro J, et al.
Closure or medical therapy for cryptogenic stroke with patent foramen ovale.
N Engl J Med 2012; 366:991.
Hagen PT, Scholz DG, Edwards WD.
Lansberg MG, O’Donnell MJ, Khatri P, et al.
Chest 2012; 141:e601S.
