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Updated: Jul 13, 2026

Closure of a Patent Foramen Ovale (PFO): An Intervention Sequence
Published on: December 23, 2022
Recurrent thromboembolic events after percutaneous device closure of patent foramen ovale
Jochen Börgermann1, Kavous Hakim, Ivar Friedrich
1Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Ernst-Grube-Strasse 40, 06097 Halle/Saale, Germany. jochen.boergermann@t-online.de
Abstract:
We report on a 34-year-old male with recurrent transient ischemic attacks 1 year after transcatheter closure of a patent foramen ovale. Echocardiography demonstrated thrombus attached to the device, although the patient had been anticoagulated with phenprocoumon. There was no residual shunt. Computed tomography and transcranial Doppler ultrasonography showed no evidence of a new stroke. The thrombosed device was removed under cardiopulmonary bypass and the defect was closed with a pericardial patch. The patient was discharged home and has been well for almost 2 years. At this time, there is no evidence for any new neurological events.
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