title: Transcatheter Closure of Patent Foramen Ovale: A Single Center Experience.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Percutaneous transcatheter closure (PTC) of patent foramen ovale (PFO) is implicated in cryptogenic stroke, transitional ischemic attack (TIA) and treatment of a migraine.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Our goal was to present our experience in the interventional treatment of PFO, as well as to evaluate the short and mid-term results in patients with closed PFO.
  
  
  METHODS
  Transcatheter closure of PFO was performed in 52 patients (67.3% women, mean age 40.7 ± 11.7 years). Patients were interviewed for subjective grading of the intensity of headaches before and after the PFO closure.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During 2 years of follow-up, there was no incidence of new stroke, TIA and/or syncope. Follow-up TCD performed in 35 patients showed complete PFO closure in 20 patients (57.1%). Out of 35 patients, 22 (62.9%) reported having a migraine before the procedure with an intensity of headaches at 8.1 ± 1.9 on a scale from 1 to 10. During 2 years of follow-up, symptoms of a migraine disappeared in 4 (18.2%) and the remaining 18 patients reported the significant decrease in intensity 4.8 ± 2.04 (p = 0.0001). In addition, following PFO closure the incidence of the headaches decreased significantly (p = 0.0001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Percutaneous transcatheter closure of PFO is a safe and effective procedure showing mid-term relief of neurological symptoms in patients as well as significant reduction of migraine symptoms.
authors.affiliation: Special Hospital for Surgical Diseases "Filip Vtori", Cardiology, Skopje, Republic of Macedonia.
authors.forename: Ivan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Milev
authors.affiliation: Special Hospital for Surgical Diseases "Filip Vtori", Cardiology, Skopje, Republic of Macedonia.
authors.forename: Planinka
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zafirovska
authors.affiliation: Special Hospital for Surgical Diseases "Filip Vtori", Cardiology, Skopje, Republic of Macedonia.
authors.forename: Zan
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zimbakov
authors.affiliation: Special Hospital for Surgical Diseases "Filip Vtori", Cardiology, Skopje, Republic of Macedonia.
authors.forename: Shpend
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Idrizi
authors.affiliation: Special Hospital for Surgical Diseases "Filip Vtori", Cardiology, Skopje, Republic of Macedonia.
authors.forename: Vilma
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ampova-Sokolov
authors.affiliation: Special Hospital for Surgical Diseases "Filip Vtori", Cardiology, Skopje, Republic of Macedonia.
authors.forename: Emilija
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gorgieva
authors.affiliation: Special Hospital for Surgical Diseases "Filip Vtori", Cardiology, Skopje, Republic of Macedonia.
authors.forename: Liljana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ilievska
authors.affiliation: Special Hospital for Surgical Diseases "Filip Vtori", Cardiology, Skopje, Republic of Macedonia.
authors.forename: Goce
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tosheski
authors.affiliation: Special Hospital for Surgical Diseases "Filip Vtori", Cardiology, Skopje, Republic of Macedonia.
authors.forename: Nikola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hristov
authors.affiliation: University Clinic of Cardiology, Faculty of Medicine, Ss Cyril and Methodius University of Skopje, Skopje, Republic of Macedonia.
authors.forename: Ljubica
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Georgievska-Ismail
authors.affiliation: Special Hospital for Surgical Diseases "Filip Vtori", Cardiology, Skopje, Republic of Macedonia.
authors.forename: Tanja
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Anguseva
authors.affiliation: Special Hospital for Surgical Diseases "Filip Vtori", Cardiology, Skopje, Republic of Macedonia.
authors.forename: Zan
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Mitrev
keywords: a migraine; cerebrovascular insult; interventional closure; patent foramen ovale; transcatheter closure