Non-surgical transcatheter closure of openings within the heart tissue separating the top two chambers of the heart, the atrial septum (patent foramen ovale [PFO] or congenital atrial septal defects [ASD]) is an alternative available to our patients at UofL’s Cardiovascular Adult Structural Heart Disease. By closing these communications we are able to halt the progression of the adverse hemodynamic complications associated with ASDs as well as preventing cryptogenic strokes that can occur with either defect. This is the same technology that allowed NFL star Tedy Bruschi to return to football following his debilitating stroke. Both systems utilize the same percutanous approach used in coronary stenting and the same intracardiac approach used in mitral valvuloplasty, namely a femoral transvenous approach to the heart (see below). Two primary synthetic repair systems are currently being used at UofL - the Amplatzer® Septal Occluder System (see right) and the HELEX® Septal Occluder. Both provide safe and very effective alternative to open-heart surgical correction of ASDs and large PFOs. [Learn about this clinical trial]

Amplatzer® Septal Occluder System