Patent Foramen Ovale - PFO Closure

Recent research found a link with a common, and usually harmless, defect of the heart to migraineurs.

A PFO occurs in about 1/4 of the population and can allow blood clots to move through blood vessels in the body. It is thought that small blood clots (micro embolisms) may trigger migraine attacks. Retrospective research has shown that some people who have had PFO closure for health reasons other than migraines have reported a reduction in frequency and severity of migraine attacks.

Have you had a PFO? Did it help with your migraines?

I did have a PFO that was found after I had a stroke. Mine was relatively small, but the doctors felt that it was what had caused the stroke. The PFO might have also been causing some of the migraines, too. I had read really good things about the impact of the PFO closure on migraines. Even if it did not do anything for the migraines, it would reduce the chance of another stroke.

I went through the surgery to close the PFO. It is actually a very non-invasive surgery these days. The closure device is inserted into the heart through the femoral artery. I was only in the hospital one night.

It has been 2.3 years since I had the PFO closure procedure and it has not helped with my migraines at all. I think I am more of the atypical example.