Patent Foramen Ovale
Trinity Health Michigan provides expert treatment for cardiovascular diseases across West Michigan, including patent foramen ovale.
What is Patent Foramen Ovale?
The heart is divided into four chambers. The upper chambers are called the right and left atria. The lower chambers are the right and left ventricles. In fetal circulation, the foramen ovale is an opening that allows blood to bypass the lungs and go directly from the right atria to the left atria. Shortly after birth, the higher pressure in the left atria and the lower pressure in the right atria causes permanent closure of the foramen ovale in the majority of people.
A patent foramen ovale (PFO) occurs when the flap-like opening does not close. This intermittent communication can allow blood to pass from the right atria to the left atria.
Many times, a PFO is not discovered until adulthood. PFOs are associated with cryptogenic stroke (a stroke that cannot be linked to a specific cause). Research suggests there is a link between PFOs and migraine headaches that occur with aura.
Symptoms of PFO
- "Bends" in scuba divers
- Low oxygen levels in rare patients
- Migraine headaches
- Stroke
- Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA or mini stroke)
Treatment
- Blood-thinning medication
- Open heart surgery to close the PFO
- Percutaneous Septal Closure