How Can a PFO Lead to Stroke?

Normally, the heart pumps blood into the lungs. There, blood cells receive oxygen, and blood clots get filtered out.

In people with a patent foramen ovale (PFO), blood and blood clots can bypass the lungs. Clots that move through the heart can get pumped to the brain and cause a stroke. This is called a
PFO-associated stroke. Closing the PFO lowers a person’s risk of having another stroke.

3 questions to ask your doctor*:

1. Have I had all the testing I need to determine the cause of my stroke?
   
2. Did test results identify the cause of my stroke?
3. Was my stroke related to a PFO?

_{*Guidance from the American Academy of Neurology}

Hear from Patients Who’ve Had PFO Closure