Transcatheter PFO closure shows sustained 20-year efficacy with under 1% recurrent stroke but 10% bleeding risk, especially in women and those on long-term antithrombotics.
Does transcatheter PFO closure provide long-term safety and efficacy in preventing recurrent stroke in patients with paradoxical embolism?
Transcatheter PFO closure demonstrates excellent 20-year efficacy for stroke prevention, though long-term bleeding risks highlight the need for tailored antithrombotic management.
Absolute Event Rate: 0% vs 0%
The results of this cohort study with 20-year follow-up showed the sustained very long-term safety and efficacy of transcatheter PFO closure, with less than 1% rate of recurrent stroke events. However, bleeding events occurred in about 1 in 10 patients and were more frequent in women and in patients under long-term antithrombotic therapy. These findings underscore the need for tailored long-term antithrombotic strategies after PFO closure. Further studies are warranted.
“Most bleeding events occurred in women, aligning with prior evidence. These results highlight the importance of tailoring antithrombotic therapy duration to individual factors, such as age, sex and cardiovascular risk profile, balancing ischemic protection against bleeding risk.”
Vidal-Calés et al. (Wed,) reported a other. Transcatheter PFO closure shows sustained 20-year efficacy with under 1% recurrent stroke but 10% bleeding risk, especially in women and those on long-term antithrombotics.