Your doctor is most likely to recommend a PFO closure procedure to diagnose it and point you to the proper treatment.
Potential signs you may need a PFO closure include:
You’ve had more than one stroke or unexplained strokes
Low oxygen levels in your blood
You experience migraines
You have decompression illness (caused by sudden changes in air or water pressure)
A blood clot travelled through the PFO
Your doctor believes you are at risk of a blood clot
Your doctor doesn’t want you to take anticoagulants (blood thinners) long-term
Preparing for a PFO closure
To be fully prepared for your appointment, tell us which medications you take and any other conditions you may have. Do not stop taking your usual medicines unless your doctor tells you otherwise.
You may have to fast for specific hours, which a team member will confirm before your appointment.
What happens during PFO closure?
Before we perform a PFO closure, we must assess you just before your PFO closure starts.
A cardiologist will put a small probe called a transoesophageal echocardiogram (TOE) down your throat. It will remain in place until the procedure is complete. The probe shows moving images of your heart that tell the cardiologist whether they can close the PFO.
Once we establish that we can repair the flap, the cardiologist will insert a catheter (thin, flexible tube) into a vein in your groin and up to your heart. A small balloon inside the catheter measures the flap opening’s exact size so we can choose the best device to close it.
The cardiologist will place the closure device inside the catheter and guide it into position with the TOE’s help. When the device is in place, the surgeon will open it to reveal two umbrella-shaped discs on either side that plug the opening of the flap – effectively sealing it up.
After PFO closure treatment
Immediately after the cardiologist has completed the closure, you will rest for a few hours before returning home. We may give you anticoagulants for several months afterwards.
PFO closure benefits
Undergoing PFO closure treatment has many potential benefits. Primarily, it can save your life if your PFO is causing strokes because it prevents the blood supply to your brain from being cut off.
Other benefits include:
Reduces the risk of blood clots passing through the PFO and moving to your brain
Eliminates the possible serious side effects of long-term anticoagulant use
No scar due to using minimally invasive techniques
You can’t feel the device used to close the opening
It’s a low-risk procedure with minimal side effects
Our patients’ PFO closure experiences
Learn more about patients’ experiences of having a PFO closure on the Different Strokes website, and watch one of our consultants, Dr Iqbal Malik, performing a PFO closure on YouTube.
