Care for a Hole in Your Heart

A hole between your heart’s upper chambers may be caused by two things. The first is patent foramen ovale (PFO), a condition in which an opening between the chambers fails to close after birth. The second is an imperfection in the wall between the chambers called an atrial septal defect (ASD). A hole between the chambers can cause oxygen-rich blood to leak from the heart’s left side back to the right side. This blood is then pumped back to the lungs, despite already having been refreshed with oxygen, displacing blood that needs oxygen.

People with PFO may experience migraine headaches. People with an ASD may have no symptoms at all. However, both conditions increase the risk for stroke.

Diagnosis

We offer several tests to diagnose a hole in your heart. Our experienced, knowledgeable and caring staff uses state-of-the-art technology and equipment for all of these tests: 

Treatment

If diagnostic tests determine you need a procedure to repair a hole in your heart, you’ll get the care you need at Lehigh Valley Health Network. We are the third largest heart program in Pennsylvania and are recognized by U.S. News & World Report as one of “America’s Best Hospitals” for heart care and heart surgery.

We offer this treatment to repair a hole in your heart: 

Need Help? Call 610-402-CARE (8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Monday-Friday) to talk to nurses and other experts who can help you find a heart care doctor and more.

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