Nutrition Health Chat: Tuesday, Dec. 8th, 5-6 PM Eastern. Learn how vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients affect your health. Free live Q&A. Join us!
Member Comments are provided by individuals and reflect their personal opinions only. Under NO circumstances should you act on any advice or opinion posted in this forum. ALWAYS check with your personal physician before taking any action regarding your health! MedHelp International and our partners, sponsors and affiliates have no obligation to monitor any comments posted on this site, or the content and/or accuracy of such exchanges. MedHelp International does not endorse the views of any user.
Heart Disease (Expert Forum)
Info
This forum is for questions and support regarding heart issues such as: Angina, Angioplasty, Arrhythmia, Bypass Surgery, Cardiomyopathy, Coronary Artery Disease, Defibrillator, Heart Attack, Heart Disease, High Blood Pressure, Mitral Valve Prolapse, Pacemaker, PAD, Stenosis, Stress Tests.
Info
by Holy__0__0, Feb 08, 1999 12:00AM
25 yrs ago when I was 10 months old, I had a TAPVD & a large ASD fixed. At a recent appt with a cardiologist they said that I had a PFO with crossover. They said that this should be fixed because of the possibility of a clot crossing & stroke. I have not been able to find any diagrams on where this problem would be. The Dr. said that sometime I would want to have it fixed, but I do not have to have it fixed anytime soon. The reason they want me to wait is for a new procedure to be FDA approved where it could be fixed through a catheder with a "clam shell device".
The main question I have is where I can obtain information on this to see where it is in the heart & if it needs to be fixed.
Thank-You for your response.
Holly
Doctor's Answer
by CCF CARDIO MD DLB, Feb 08, 1999 12:00AM
_
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Holly
It sounds like you have a patent foramen ovale with shunting of the blood from the right atrium to the left atrium. However, with your history, it could be a leak from a residual ASD. In any case, whether it needs to be fixed depends on the size of the connection and the degree of shunting. We are currently using the clamshell device here at the Cleveland Clinic, on an investigational basis, with good results.
I hope this has been useful. I wish you the best of luck. Feel free to write back.
Information provided here is for general purposes only. Specific questions should be addressed to your own doctor. If you would like to make an appointment at the Cleveland Clinic Heart Center, please call 1-800-CCF-CARE or inquire online by using the Heart Center website at www.ccf.org/heartcenter. The Heart Center website contains a directory of the cardiology staff that can be used to select the physician best suited to address your cardiac problem.
