Prospective Clinical Follow-up After the Percutaneous Closure of a Patent Foramen Ovale
Prospective Clinical Follow-up After the Percutaneous Closure of a Patent Foramen Ovale
Following a cryptogenic stroke, many patients are nowadays treated with the percutaneous
 closure of a patent foramen ovale (PFO), assuming that the aetiology of the stroke is
 secondary to a paradoxical embolism. After the PFO closure procedure a dual antiplatelet
 regimen is often prescribed for 3-6 months and several cardiologic and neurologic follow-up
 exams are scheduled in the first 12 months of follow-up. Usually a transthoracic +/-
 transoesophageal echocardiography (TTE +/- TEE) are performed at 6 months, however this kind
 of control is not systematically performed. In order to improve the clinical outcomes in this
 young patients' population, the investigators prospectively perform a complete cardiologic
 and neurologic follow-up program to all patients undergoing a successful percutaneous closure
 of a PFO.

 The aim of these controls is to confirm the good position of the PFO-device, to confirm the
 absence of any residual right to left shunt or any significant atrial arrhythmias Furthermore
 this prospective follow-up will analyze the possible mechanisms leading to a cerebral stroke
 recurrence (e.g. size of the PFO, presence of an atrial septal aneurysm, presence of a
 residual shunt, size of the utilized closure device, ....).
At follow-up the following exams will be performed:

 -  at hospital discharge: chest X-ray +/- TTE + 7-days event loop record (ELR)

 -  at 6 months: clinical cardiologic and neurologic examination + TTE + TEE + 7-days ELR +
 trans-cranial doppler (TCD) with micro bubbles detection.

 -  at 1 year: clinical cardiologic and neurologic examination + TTE +/- TEE + 7-days ELR +
 trans-cranial doppler (TCD) with micro bubbles detection +/- cerebral MRI
Inclusion Criteria:

 -  18 years old patients

 -  signed informed consent

 -  all consecutive patients undergoing a successful percutaneous closure of a PFO
 secondary to a cryptogenic stroke

 Exclusion Criteria:

 -  all patients with an alternative aetiology of the initial stroke

 -  all patients in whom the percutaneous closure of the PFO is contraindicated

 -  all patients with a known allergy to aspirin and or clopidogrel