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Closure of a Patent Foramen Ovale (PFO): An Intervention Sequence
10:52

Closure of a Patent Foramen Ovale (PFO): An Intervention Sequence

Published on: December 23, 2022

Transcatheter closure versus medical therapy of patent foramen ovale and cryptogenic stroke

Basil Vasilios D Thanopoulos1, Petros D Dardas, Evangelos Karanasios

  • 1Department of Cardiology, Aghia Sophia Children's Hospital, Athens, Greece. vthanop@otenet.gr

Catheterization and Cardiovascular Interventions : Official Journal of the Society for Cardiac Angiography & Interventions
|October 14, 2006
PubMed

Insights

Device closure of patent foramen ovale (PFO) is a safe and effective alternative to antiplatelet therapy for preventing recurrent cryptogenic stroke (CS). PFO closure significantly reduced embolic events compared to antiplatelet therapy.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Neurology
  • Medical Devices

Background:

  • No controlled data exist comparing device closure of patent foramen ovale (PFO) with medical treatment for cryptogenic stroke (CS).
  • Evaluating PFO closure efficacy and safety is crucial for managing CS patients.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare the efficacy and safety of PFO device closure versus antiplatelet therapy in patients with CS.
  • To assess the recurrence rate of stroke in patients with PFO and CS undergoing different treatments.

Main Methods:

  • A nonrandomized, prospective case series of 92 patients with PFO and CS.
  • Patients were treated with either antiplatelet agents (44) or PFO catheter closure using the Amplatzer PFO occluder (APFOO) (48).
  • A 2-year follow-up was completed for all patients.

Main Results:

  • PFO closure achieved 91% immediate complete closure, with no complications.
  • The PFO closure group had 0% incidence of embolic events/year, versus 14.75% in the antiplatelet therapy group (P < 0.001).
  • The antiplatelet group experienced 3 major and 6 minor hemorrhagic events.

Conclusions:

  • PFO closure with the APFOO is a viable alternative to medical treatment for CS.
  • Larger randomized trials are needed to confirm the superiority of this device over other occluders and medical therapies.
Abstract

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