Aims: Closure of patent foramen ovale (PFO) is non-inferior to medical treatment for patients with cryptogenic stroke. Results in randomised trials might be based on the different types of used occluders. We determined residual shunting with serial contrast transoesophageal echocardiography (cTEE) and evaluated rates of recurrent cerebrovascular events in a long-term follow-up.
Methods and results: cTEE was repeated three and 12 months after PFO closure using AMPLATZER (n=109), BioSTAR (n=68), Cardia (n=104) or Premere (n=54) occluders. Closure was demonstrated in 91.6% and 95.9% of patients after three and 12 months. Closure rates were not different among groups (p=0.58; p=0.94). The PFO diameter was a risk factor for residual shunting (p=0.02), but not the prevalence of an atrial septal aneurysm (ASA). During follow-up, including 1,815 patient-years (PY), eight patients suffered a stroke (0.44/100 PY) and seven patients a transient ischaemic attack (0.39/100 PY). Rates of recurrent cerebrovascular events were similar among the four groups.
Conclusions: Closure at three or 12 months (as measured by cTEE) and rates of recurrent cerebrovascular events were similar among occluder groups. PFO diameter was a risk factor for residual shunting, but not the presence of ASA. The rate of recurrent cerebral ischaemic events was low.