Bubble Test - Heart Disorders Message Board

britishgirl2 · 03-24-2005, 04:30 PM

Hi there,
I had an echo done today with the bubble test to see if I had an opening. The nurse who did the echo told me that she thinks it's PFO - the flap was opening up when she made me cough. Anyone have any info on this?

Lenin · 03-26-2005, 06:40 AM

Hmmm,
That one had me googling.
PATENT FORAMEN OVALE, eh.
It's congenital and it's main risk is passing a small clot THROUGH the hole from the right atrium to the left. Small right atrial clots returning from the venous system of the body are trapped in the lungs and are usually unnoticed unless BIG. IF however the lung is bypassed and the clot goes right to left and up to the brain it becomes a MASSIVE problem: a stroke.
It seems it's common to put PFO people (as many as 20% of the population) on blood thinners to avoid stroke.
Since the condition is benigh in 95% of those with the defect, anything like open heart surgery isn't typically done. The surgery would kill far more than the PFO.

Perhaps somebody has developed a technique to plug the hole via catheter? That might be a viable option.

I would most certainly take a 325 mg. aspirin a day until your doctor made some determination of what kind of blood thinning agent to employ.

mghealth · 04-28-2005, 05:19 PM

Correct - of all the research I've done, most, if not all, say it's not simply having the PFO that makes it risky, it's the direction and volume of shunting from one atrial chamber to the other that's the problem: if you're shunting from right-to-left, then the risk of a stroke is increased, otherwise, the risk is minimal to non-existent. Also, the amount of shunting occurring is also a risk factor for stroke. Since I'm shunting from right-to-left and the valsalva maneuver doesn't cause any unusual shunting, I'm OK and out of *most* of harms way.