Aa
Aa
A
A
A
Close
Avatar universal

PFO -Patent Foramen Ovale

Has anyone ever heard of this? I'm getting surgery soon... And I am scared!
9 Responses
Sort by: Helpful Oldest Newest
Avatar universal
Thanks for your help!
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I misspoke when i said factor 5 deficiency...i meant factor 5 disorder. factor 5 deficiency does indeed increase clotting time while leiden decreases clotting time. as i said before...the aspirin will not reduce risk of blood clot from factor 5, but may be beneficial from clotting associated with birth control use. If you are no longer on birth control, then there would be no benefit from the aspirin. The lovenox would be used to prevent blood clots resulting from factor 5 leiden and is appropriate for your condition.
Helpful - 0
267401 tn?1251852496
thrombosis = blood clotting
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I have Factor 5 Leiden - I didn't know there was a difference.... And the Hematologist said that aspirin would  only help with the platelets.He said I had a venous clot that came from my leg. He also said aspirin would be useless for me and do nothing to help my blood from clotting.. I feel like I'm learning a new language- this is all foreign to me! This is a lot to try to understand all at once. I am no longer allowed to take birth control either. He did say something about thrombosis-I'm gonna have to do some research on what that is. Thank You so much for all your help. And I did check out the Lovenox site it was helpful.. Thanks! -Amanda
Helpful - 0
267401 tn?1251852496
I'm trying to research this and help get it figured out, but something you said confused me.  From this site:  http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/diseases/facts/factorv.htm

it indicates that a Factor V deficiency would result in someone being more likely to bleed badly, not clot.  It's Factor V Leiden that would make someone more likely to suffer thrombosis.

And on this site:  http://www.fvleiden.org/ask/35.html the Director of the Thrombophilia Program at UNC indicated that aspirin works for arterial clots, but not venous ones, and other meds like coumadin are needed for those.  It's entirely possible that I'm misreading it, but it didn't seem like he was saying aspirin would be useless.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
The reason that aspirin will not work to thin your blood is because of your factor 5 deficiency. How this deficiency works to decrease clotting time doesnt have anything to do with how aspirin works. Aspirin will help counter the effects of the birth control pill, though, so is not a bad idea. Lovenox is a good idea to counter the factor 5 deficiency. so in my opinion, you should continue with the baby aspirin and lovenox as ordered. As for your first question, a PFO is a "hole" in the heart that is open when you are in utero. Upon your first breath, it closes from the pressure of the first breath, because it is no longer adventageous for your body to have this hole. In some cases, this fails to close, causing a condition called PFO. I am assuming they have known about it for some time as it is usually picked up by your pediatrician as a child when they hear a murmur. Considering your clotting isssue and PFO, it seems very reasonable to have the repair. Hope this helped :)
Helpful - 0
267401 tn?1251852496
Hi Amanda -

I'd answered your question elsewhere but it looks like I got answers to some of my questions here, regarding the birth control and one condition combining with the other to cause the stroke.  

I was just reading up on Lovenox on Wikipedia and it listed situations where Lovenox and aspirin are used together to treat certain heart-related problems.  I have the feeling that the reason they indicated not taking both together is because despite the hematologist saying that aspirin doesn't thin your blood, aspirin thins your blood.  It's a common blood thinner for people with a-fib.  I think the concern in the warning is that if you take too much of both that your blood will get too thin.

As for eating green, leafy veggies - don't take this as gospel because I didn't have enough time to research it fully, but it appears that drugs like Warfarin/Coumadin and Heparin are the ones that you shouldn't eat greens with, but Lovenox does not have that same restriction.  Here's a link to a site where patients were discussing this issue:  http://community.babycenter.com/post/a2865375/lovenox_and_avoiding_vegetables_high_in_vit_k

Hope that helps.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Thanks again for the re-assurance! I seen a hematologist today because i have thick blood- Factor 5, it's called. Which causes blood clots easily. He said the blood clot came from my leg. The Neurologist said that the blood clot happened because I have a PFO, thick blood and at the time was on birth control, which put me off balance, thus the blood clot going through my PFO and into my brain.

So the Neurologist recommended me taking a baby aspirin every day for as long as I live to thinin my blood. Well the Hematologist was completley shocked to hear that!!! He said  Aspirin won't do anything to your blood- it won't even touch it! He couldn't believe I wasn't immediately put on a blood thinner. Since my surgery is so close he put me on Lovenox for now. He also told me when he puts me on Comaden?? after the surgery I can't eat greens -they contain vitamin K.

So I then went to the anticoagulants unit where a pharmacist showed me how to administer this medicine and she told me that it would be ok to take tonight even though I already took a baby aspirin and to call her to see if I should continue taking my aspirin with the Lovenox ( not wantint to step on the Nuerolgist toes). I said is that safe? If it don't do anything for me-why take it? She said it won't hurt you. Just take it until we talk to the neurologist. I open up the info on Lovenox and it states: Do not take these medicines while on it - Aspirin...??? what? Then she advised me that I can eat greens..?? Talk about way to much stress and confusion 2 weeks before my surgery....... -Amanda
Helpful - 0
267401 tn?1251852496
Hi Littlemommabear -

I know something like this has to be really frightening, but when you think about which one is riskier, doing nothing and hoping for the best and having your PFO closed, you know which one gives you loads better odds of having many, many years to watch your baby grow up.

If you're wondering how the procedure will go, as I understand it (and someone please jump in if I'm wrong), it's much like any other heart catheter procedure, and the risks are very low.  Seriously.  They've been doing heart cath procedures for so long that it's become a pretty hum-drum event.  Go in, take a nap for awhile, wake up, lay still for a few hours, then get up and go home.  About the time it takes for a good bump on your shin to heal and you're back to your regular schedule.
Helpful - 0
Have an Answer?

You are reading content posted in the Heart Rhythm Community

Top Arrhythmias Answerers
1807132 tn?1318743597
Chicago, IL
1423357 tn?1511085442
Central, MA
Learn About Top Answerers
Didn't find the answer you were looking for?
Ask a question
Popular Resources
Are there grounds to recommend coffee consumption? Recent studies perk interest.
Salt in food can hurt your heart.
Get answers to your top questions about this common — but scary — symptom
How to know when chest pain may be a sign of something else
A list of national and international resources and hotlines to help connect you to needed health and medical services.
Herpes sores blister, then burst, scab and heal.