Patent foramen ovale (PFO) diagnosis in Hannover Medical School (MHH)

About the department

The Department of Cardiology and Angiology at the Hannover Medical School provides modern diagnostics, prevention and treatment of heart and vascular diseases. The main areas of specialization of the medical facility include the treatment of acute myocardial infarction, chronic heart failure, cardiomyopathies, heart arrhythmias, congenital heart defects in adults, atherosclerosis, occlusive peripheral arterial disease, thrombosis, varicose veins and other pathologies. The department's highly qualified doctors have a wide arsenal of advanced conservative and interventional treatment methods to avoid classic open surgery. The department is focused on providing individualized, top-class medical care using modern treatment methods and state-of-the-art equipment, as well as on involving the best doctors with rich clinical experience to the process. The medical facility strictly adheres to the current clinical protocols and recommendations of professional societies, so patients can count on the effective and safe treatment. The department is headed by Prof. Dr. med. Johann Bauersachs.

The department offers extensive opportunities in interventional cardiology. For this purpose, it has three modern catheterization laboratories, including a hybrid cardiac catheterization laboratory with state-of-the-art imaging systems and a laboratory for electrophysiological studies. It is worth noting that the department has the status of Interventional Cardiology Training Center certified by the German Cardiac Society. Interventional diagnostic procedures (angiography, intravascular ultrasound, optical coherence tomography) are performed for suspected pathologies of the coronary vessels, heart valves and heart chambers, if classical diagnostic methods (echocardiography, electrocardiography, Holter monitoring, etc.) do not allow the doctors to obtain the necessary clinical data to make an accurate diagnosis. The department's specialists perform a variety of therapeutic interventional catheter procedures, including stent implantation, balloon dilation, coronary lithoplasty and rotablation, procedures for patent foramen ovale closure and correction of atrial septal defects, transfemoral aortic valve replacement, percutaneous mitral valve interventions, interventional correction of paravalvular leaks and others. Cardiac catheterization laboratories are also designed for providing emergency medical care for patients with myocardial infarction and cardiogenic shock.

An important area of ​​work of the medical facility is the diagnostics and treatment of cardiac arrhythmias (heart rhythm disorders). The department includes a specialized center for the treatment of patients with arrhythmias. The center carries out comprehensive diagnostics, which allows the doctors to determine the exact type of heart rhythm disorders, as well as the necessary therapeutic measures. In addition, the specialists perform interventions to implant pacemakers, defibrillators and systems for electrotherapy for heart failure.

The experts in angiology are responsible for the treatment of patients with diseases of the arteries, veins and lymphatic vessels. Of particular interest is the therapy of peripheral arterial occlusive disease, atherosclerosis and thrombosis. The department's medical team applies the full range of non-invasive diagnostics for detecting circulatory disorders (Doppler ultrasonography, color transcranial Doppler ultrasonography, venous occlusion plethysmography, light reflection rheography, capillary microscopy, transcutaneous oxygen tension measurement, etc.). The treatment of early stages of vascular diseases usually involve the use of conservative therapy, while severe types of pathologies in this field require interventional procedures – balloon dilation and stent implantation. The department's angiologists cooperate closely with the Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, as well as with specialists in the field of vascular surgery.

The department's range of medical services includes:

• Cardiology
  • General cardiac diagnostics
    • Echocardiography
    • Electrocardiography, including stress electrocardiography, Holter monitoring
    • Spiroergometry
    • Cardiac MRI
  • Interventional cardiac diagnostics
    • Angiography
    • Intravascular ultrasound scanning
    • Optical coherence tomography
  • Interventional therapeutic procedures for the treatment of heart disease
    • All types of percutaneous interventions for coronary stenosis and stent implantation, including vascular imaging, rotablation, bioresorbable stent implantation, coronary lithoplasty
    • Treatment of structural heart disease: closure of persistent foramen ovale, atrial septal defect, transfemoral aortic valve replacement, treatment of mitral valve pathologies using MitraClip system
    • Emergency care for myocardial infarction and cardiogenic shock, including the implantation of cardiac support systems (microaxial pump)
    • Closure of the atrial appendage in atrial fibrillation
  • Diagnostics and treatment of cardiac arrhythmias (heart rhythm disorders)
    • Implantation of defibrillators
    • Implantation of pacemakers
    • Follow-up care after implantation of defibrillators and pacemakers
    • Cardiac resynchronization therapy
    • Placement of occluder
  • Intensive care and emergency medical care (for example, for cardiac arrest)
• Angiology
  • Diagnostics
    • Doppler ultrasonography
    • Transcranial colour Doppler
    • Venous occlusion plethysmography
    • Light reflection rheography
    • Capillary microscopy
    • Transcutaneous oxygen tension measurement
  • Treatment
    • Drug therapy
    • Balloon dilatation
    • Stent implantation
• Other diagnostic and therapeutic options