Patent Foramen Ovale Closure Without Echocardiography

nterventional cardiologists have firmly established their ole in the diagnosis and treatment of coronary atheroscleosis. Assessment of hemodynamics has also been a longtanding role for the catheterization laboratory. However, he invasive cardiologist is now becoming involved in the reatment of structural heart disease. Various and increasngly complex procedures are being performed through a atheter-based approach, such as septal ablation for hyperrophic cardiomyopathy, balloon valvotomy, prosthetic leak epair, and percutaneous valve replacement. The past decade lso has witnessed the emergence of percutaneous closure of atent foramen ovale (PFO) for secondary prevention of troke. This procedure has been rapidly adopted into clinical ractice with conservative estimates of 11,000 patients aving received the Amplatzer PFO Occluder (AGA Medcal Corporation, Golden Valley, Minnesota) since its inroduction worldwide in May 2000 (1).