Patent Foramen Ovale (PFO) — Reconstruction Surgery: treatment in the Best Hospitals in the World
Treatment prices are regulated by national law of the corresponding countries, but can also include additional hospital coefficients. In order to receive the individual cost calculation, please send us the request and medical records.
Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery
According to the Focus magazine, the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery ranks among the top German medical facilities specializing in the surgical treatment of diseases of the cardiovascular system and lung cancer! The department offers the full range of surgical services for the treatment of diseases of the cardiovascular system, respiratory tract, including heart and lung transplantation, artificial heart implantation. The therapeutic options include aortic surgery, coronary artery bypass grafting, transplantation surgery, surgical treatment of heart rhythm disorders (arrhythmias), minimally invasive surgery, surgical treatment of the heart valves, including reconstructive interventions. All operations are performed using state-of-the-art technology and in accordance with the current recommendations of professional societies.
Department of Cardiac Surgery
The Department of Cardiac Surgery provides a full range of surgical treatment in its area of specialization. Special emphasis is placed on heart valve repair and replacement surgery, coronary artery bypass grafting, thoracic aortic surgery, adult congenital and acquired heart disease surgery, pacemaker and defibrillator implantation, and artificial heart implantation for severe heart failure. Many heart operations are performed using minimally invasive techniques, which has a positive effect on the healing of the surgical wound. Minimally invasive cardiac procedures also reduce surgical risks and contribute to a rapid recovery of the patient in the postoperative period. Surgical treatment of cardiac pathologies is performed in advanced operating rooms equipped with the latest technology. The cardiac surgeons of the department successfully perform routine and complex surgical procedures, saving the lives of thousands of patients. The specialists work in accordance with current clinical protocols and follow the recommendations of the German Society for Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery (DGTHG).
Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery and Vascular Surgery
The Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery and Vascular Surgery provides effective surgical treatment for diseases of the heart, respiratory system, and blood vessels. The team of cardiac surgeons operates on patients with heart valve pathologies, coronary heart disease, heart failure, and heart rhythm disturbances. In the field of thoracic surgery, the key focus is on the surgical removal of lung tumors and lung metastases. The specialists in this area also perform surgery to repair chest wall deformities. In the field of vascular surgery, interventions for abdominal and thoracic aortic aneurysms are most often performed here. The department's vascular surgeons are also exceptionally competent in the treatment of peripheral occlusive arterial disease. A great advantage for the department's patients is that almost all surgical interventions are performed using minimally invasive techniques, so there is no need for a long postoperative recovery. The department's operating rooms are equipped with state-of-the-art technology. This allows for effective and safe treatment. The priority is always personalized medical care for patients.
A patent foramen ovale (PFO) is an abnormal opening between the two atria. Normally, the left and right halves of the heart do not communicate directly in adults. The fetus, however, has not yet developed lungs, so such an opening is important for the normal saturation of tissues with oxygen. After the baby is born, the foramen ovale closes. In about 50% of people, it remains open until 1 year of age, and in about 25% of people, it is open even in their adulthood. In some cases, although not always, it has to be closed surgically.
Content
- Is a patent foramen ovale dangerous?
- Indications for closing the patent foramen ovale
- When can reconstruction surgery be used?
If an open operation is required, doctors make an incision in the chest, dissect the heart, remove blood clots from its cavities, and then close the defect in the wall between the atria with a patch from the patient's own pericardium or artificial materials. In other cases, a minimally invasive PFO closure with an occluder can be performed.
You can seek medical attention from the University Hospital Essen, the University Hospital Oldenburg, or the University Hospital Ulm.
You do not have to deal with the organization of treatment yourself if you use the services of the Booking Health company. We will select a clinic for you, help you prepare the necessary documents, and book hotel and airline tickets. In Germany, you will be met at the airport, taken to the clinic, and provided with interpreting services. After the completion of your treatment, we will take you to the airport.
Is a patent foramen ovale dangerous?
A patent foramen ovale is not dangerous for most people. It is therefore not closed in all patients but only if clinically indicated.
The average size of the foramen ovale is 4.5 mm, although, in some cases, it may reach 19 mm. The pathology differs from an atrial septal defect in that it has a valvular structure. Blood is therefore discharged in only one direction, namely from the pulmonary circulation to the systemic one. And what is more, this discharge is not permanent.
The main problem of a patent foramen ovale is an increased risk of stroke. Blood clots may form in the right side of the heart and enter the left half through the patent foramen ovale, where they enter the systemic circulation. Most operations to close the foramen ovale are performed on people who have had a stroke or other systemic emboli.
Indications for closing the patent foramen ovale
PFO treatment may be indicated for patients who have had a stroke in the following cases:
- age up to 60 years;
- age over 60 years if it is established that the cause of the stroke was PFO;
- patients with thrombophilia who receive antiplatelet rather than anticoagulant therapy;
- atrial fibrillation;
- venous thromboembolism.
PRO treatment in patients without a history of stroke is indicated in the following cases:
- systemic thromboembolism;
- platypnea-orthodeoxia syndrome that is characterized by shortness of breath and impaired tissue oxygen saturation in a standing position, if other causes are excluded.
When can reconstruction surgery be used?
Open heart surgery treatment for PFO is not considered a standard approach. In most cases, doctors use endovascular procedures when a patent foramen ovale is closed from the inside of the blood vessels using an occluder. This device is delivered to the heart and fixed in the area of the interatrial septum.
In the case of PFO in young patients without comorbidities, PFO reconstruction open surgery is considered an alternative treatment option. Its disadvantages are a high trauma rate and long-term rehabilitation. The advantages include a low risk of recurrence and residual intracardiac shunts, that is, the patent foramen ovale closes completely and more reliably.
Clinics abroad rarely perform open operations to close the patent foramen ovale. Sometimes they may be used for a repeated operation if a percutaneous procedure was unsuccessful or there was a recurrence of the pathology.
You can go abroad if you need diagnostics, treatment, and rehabilitation after your patent foramen ovale surgery. Hospitals in developed countries perform safe operations with reliable outcomes. Doctors can close even the largest foramen ovale and remove blood clots from the heart using the surgical technique, while the risk of pathology recurrence is close to zero. You can find out the cost of the medical care program and make your treatment appointment abroad at the best price through the Booking Health service. Our specialists will assist in selecting a Heart Surgery Center and arranging your trip.
Authors:
The article was edited by medical experts, board-certified doctors Dr. Nadezhda Ivanisova and Dr. Vadim Zhiliuk. For the treatment of the conditions referred to in the article, you must consult a doctor; the information in the article is not intended for self-medication!
Sources:
ECR - European Cardiology Review
