Does patent foramen ovale (PFO) closure increase the risk of atrial fibrillation compared to medical therapy?
PFO closure is associated with an increased risk of short-term, typically mild atrial fibrillation compared to medical therapy, which must be weighed against long-term stroke prevention benefits.
PFO closure increases short-term AF/Af risk compared to medical therapy, but the events are typically mild and age-independent. This should be weighed against the long-term benefit of stroke prevention. Moreover, standardized monitoring is needed to better define this risk.
Spyropoulou et al. (Fri,) studied this question.