Patent foramen ovale closure with the BioSTAR bioabsorbable implant

The authors present the case of a 35-year-old woman admitted to her local hospital with right upper limb paresis, which led to a diagnosis of ischemic stroke, confirmed by brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Investigation of the embolic source by transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) revealed a patent foramen ovale (PFO), with spontaneous right-to-left shunt. In May 2009 percutaneous closure of the PFO was performed with a BioSTAR bioabsorbable implant, under TEE and fluoroscopic control. Transthoracic echocardiography was performed one, three and six months after the procedure, and TEE was repeated after nine months, in each case showing correct implant positioning, with no residual leak. The patient has been asymptomatic since the stroke episode. The authors discuss the importance of bioabsorbable implants for PFO closure, and their advantages over the previously used permanent synthetic implants.