Patent Ovale Foramen Closure

The patent foramen ovale (PFO) is a small tunnel located in the atrial septum that is used during foetal circulation to bypass the lungs.

If the atrial septum does not close completely, the tunnel is called a patent foramen ovale, or a “hole in the heart”.

Holes in the Heart

A congenital heart defect is a malformation of the heart that is present at birth. Some congenital heart defects are very minor and will never cause health problems. Others are very serious and complicated. These defects are usually discovered in infancy or early childhood due to symptoms and may be surgically repaired at that time.

Adult congenital heart disease normally takes one of two forms: a defect with no symptoms early in life that becomes associated with symptoms later on, or a complex defect repaired during childhood that requires further repair or new treatment in adulthood.

Because repaired congenital heart defects can still cause problems later on, patients with a defect repaired in childhood need regular follow-up cardiac care throughout their lives. Occasionally, an adult will experience symptoms of a more complicated defect for the first time as an adult.