Openings between the heart’s upper chambers normally close soon after birth. When they don’t, the hole is called a patent foramen ovale (PFO). It is one form of atrial septal defect closure, and can now be corrected with less invasive methods than traditional surgery.

Using a catheter in a laboratory setting, small mesh implants are inserted that close the opening. The procedure involves less anesthesia than traditional surgery, there is no major incision and the patient can normally go home within 1 to 2 days.