Most people with a patent foramen ovale don't need treatment. Patent foramen ovale (PFO) is a hole between your heart's upper chambers.The healthcare provider inserts the catheter through a blood vessel in the groin and guides it to the PFO. The foramen ovale is a hole in the wall between the left and right atria of every human fetus. This hole allows blood to bypass the fetal lungs. Patent foramen ovale closure is a procedure to close a hole in the heart. We use minimally invasive approaches to treat PFO without open-chest surgery. Most PFOs don't need any treatment. If your child needs surgery for another heart defect, the PFO may be closed at the time of the surgery. You'll need to take aspirin or other blood-thinning drugs like clopidogrel every day for six months or longer to prevent blood clots from forming.