Patent Foramen Ovale (PFO) closure is done to seal off or close an opening between the right and left atrium of heart.
Before birth, each fetus has a small opening between the upper left and right chambers (atria) of the heart. This opening is called a foramen ovale. In most cases this closes naturally soon after birth. If it remains open (patent), blood may leak between the two atria.
In the past, the foramen ovale could only be closed during open heart surgery. A PFO closure done in the Cardiac Catheterization (Cath) lab offers a less invasive option.
During this procedure, a thin catheter (tube) is threaded to the heart from the blood vessels in the groin area. The catheter, guided by X-ray, allows a special device to be put in place to close the PFO. The procedure lasts about one totwo hours. An overnight hospital stay may be needed.
- The septum is the muscular wall separating the heart into the left and right sides.
- The atrial septum is the wall separating the atria (the two upper chambers).
- The ventricular septum is the wall separating the ventricles (the two lower chambers).
The foramen ovale is a small hole located in the atrial septum that is used during fetal circulation to speed up the travel of blood through the heart. When in the womb,a baby does not use it's own lungs for oxygen-rich blood, it relies on the mother to provide oxygen rich blood from the placenta through the umbilical cord to the fetus. Therefore, blood can travel from the veins to the right side of the baby's heart and cross to the left side of the heart through the foramen ovale and skip the trip to the baby's lungs.
Normally the foramen ovale closes at birth when increased blood pressure on the left side of the heart forces the opening to close.
If the atrial septum does not close properly, it is called a patent foramen ovale. This type of defect generally works like a flap valve, only opening during certain conditions when there is more pressure inside the chest. This increased pressure occurs when people strain while having a bowel movement, cough, or sneeze.
If the pressure is great enough, blood may travel from the right atrium to the left atrium. If there is a clot or particles in the blood traveling in the right side of the heart, it can cross the PFO, enter the left atrium, and travel out of the heart and to the brain (causing a stroke) or into a coronary artery (causing a heart attack).
More Information:
