Long-term results after fluoroscopy-guided closure of patent foramen ovale for secondary prevention of paradoxical embolism

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Abstract
Objectives: To carry out long-term follow-up after percutaneous closure of patent foramen ovale (PFO) in patients with cryptogenic stroke. Design: Prospective cohort study. Setting: Single tertiary care centre. Participants: 525 consecutive patients (mean (SD) age 51 (12) years; 56% male). Interventions: Percutaneous PFO closure without intraprocedural echocardiography. Main outcome measures: Freedom from recurrent embolic events. Results: A mean (SD) of 1.7 (1.0) clinically apparent embolic events occurred for each patient, and 186 patients (35%) had >1 event. An atrial septal aneurysm was associated with the PFO in 161 patients (31%). All patients were followed up prospectively for up to 11 years. The implantation procedure failed in two patients (0.4%). There were 13 procedural complications (2.5%) without any long-term sequelae. Contrast transoesophageal echocardiography at 6 months showed complete closure in 86% of patients, and a minimal, moderate or large residual shunt in 9%, 3% and 2%, respectively. Patients with small occluders (Conclusions: This study attests to the long-term safety and efficacy of percutaneous PFO closure guided by fluoroscopy only for secondary prevention of paradoxical embolism in a large cohort of consecutive patients.
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