When do you close a patent foramen ovale?

If having symptoms: Condition very common. Usually closure only if having symptoms especially symptoms of stroke or what is called TIA which is a lack of oxygen to the brain. This would mean the defect is causing clots. Probably not even closure then if you can take blood thinners. If there is some reason blood thinners cannot be taken then that is when closure done. New methods do not require opening chest. Drj.

Significant symptoms: Patients need to have experienced recurrent neurologic events despite warfarin anticoagulation or have a significant shunt causing heart failure symptoms.

Infrequently: At this point in time, there is no guideline-recommended indication for closure. There are currently clinical trials exploring this issue, and patients could be enrolled in these trials. But otherwise it is not an approved procedure anymore.

Symptoms: When the patent for amen ovale causes symptoms of respiratory effort, shortness of breath, decreased exercise tolerance, etc.