PFO Closure Part 1 of 2 - CLOSED

Glass Half Full,


Great news and I am so happy for both you and your husband. Happy Anniversary on the 18th. I hope you have many, many more anniversaries to celebrate together.



Also knowing we have been a comfort to you makes me feel really good.



Hugs and blessings,



Kitt

Dear withnail1969,

I had my PFO and ASA closed 4 years ago and recently found it is not closed. 

I recently had a suspected blood clot in my ankle so they went back to check the device.  When they did the bubble study again, the right side of my face went numb.  I mentioned this to the cardio and then they did a transcranial doppler to see if there was "showering".  The bubbles were injected and all of them went right up to the brain.  This could explain why I get vertigo all the time, the right side of my face goes numb, my vision gets blurred in that right eye....."dirty" blood going up to the brain.  Wonder what the long term effects of that are? 

I'm still waiting on a call back.  I suspect they want to "chance" it rather than try to put a second device in or open me up to really fix it.  From what I've read it's not all that likely I'll have another stroke unless the moons are aligned (have to have clot, has to be near opening, hole has to open while clot is there), but, the constant neuro interference I get makes me wonder if I should have it closed up.....again.  Am I having mini strokes constantly or it it harmless dirty blood and just deal with it?  It only opens up when I cough, sneeze or bear down.  I try not to do those things......

 

Hi All,

It's my understanding that there is a CORRELATION between having a PFO and strokes and migraine, but most doctors (at least the ones I encountered) will not say you have had or will have a stroke or migraine because of the presence of a PFO. That correlation (not cause) is one of the reasons that PFO closure is still under clinical trial status (at least here in the United States).

No doctor would say I had my bi-lateral stroke because I had a PFO (I also had ocular migraines). I also used estrogen prior to my stroke. I believe that Estrogen and a PFO are contributing factors, so I have had my PFO closed (Dec. 2009) and haven't used estrogen since i had my stroke last July.

At least I can rule out those factors re: future strokes. I have a physician friend who has migraines, lost some sight in one eye due to an ocular migraine, was diagnosed with a PFO, and has opted to not have it closed (at least up till now). Perhaps my situation has altered her thinking somewhat. She is a medical professional and is opting to do nothing right now. I find that interesting!

PFO- closure is not for everyone and does not guarantee anything. For some of us though, it has helped bring some peace of mind to an otherwise somewhat uncontrollable situation. Since my PFO closure almost 3 months ago, I have not had any ocular migraines. Perhaps it's coincidental, but I choose to believe that I've been somewhat proactive in my lifelong fight against both stroke and migraines.

This board and everyone's personal experience with stroke and migraine has been wonderful for me. Thanks everyone for helping me!

Lauri

Hi all:

I am headed back to cardiologist tomorrow to pick up a monitor to wear for 24 hours.  My heart rate continues to register high, even when I am not exerting.  I am about 10 weeks out from closure, did anyone else have this experience?

Thanks,

Katieboot

 In October 2009 I suffered a stroke, left sided which took until February 2010 to diagnose.

I have had multiple MRI's, MRA's, CTA's, CT's, echo, etc. etc. and finally the middle of this month I went to a cardiologsist who did the "bubble test" and found the "hole".  My next visit was to another cardiologist to talk about repair. After reading up on this on the internet, at this time I have decided to NOT go ahead with closure, at least for now.  It sounds to me as if the risks are greater than the benefit, but yet, knowing you have a hole in your heart and have had 2 strokes is majorly worrisome and always in the back of my mind.  The doctors also wanted to put me on Pravastatin 40mg. and Coumadin, which I did not take.  I am going to stay on my 325mg. aspirin and my blood pressure medicine and I have added Red Yeast Rice to hopefully be a "natural" blood thinner.  My cholesterol is not high, but they want to keep it that way. I have bad cardiac history, my father fell dead of a heart attack when he was 35 years old.

So...... I am so totally torn, worrying I will have another stroke at any minute, but then I just don't want to bring on other problems with surgery, there are so many things to consider, I was told you could have a stroke during the procedure and also there is no guarantee of not having another one even with the repair, I think of the risk of staph and other complications.  As for the Coumadin and Pravastatin, all I have heard about them is HORRIBLE, but I know they prescribed them in good faith as that is what they have been trained to do for patients like me.  I am not a non-compliant patient up to this point, but I have balked at the procedure and 2 new medicines.  The Lord gave me enough mind to make this decision on my own based on what I know about it, I am praying he will see me through this.  Any thoughts like mine????

This Thread is Closed

Please post in Part 2 of 2:   https://www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=42&m=1732903

 

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