The team at Arizona Heart Arrhythmia Associates can diagnose your structural heart defect and provide treatments to keep your heart working as it should. Learn more about the causes and complications of this condition in which a hole in the heart doesn't close the way it should after birth.A patent foramen ovale (PFO) is a hole in the heart that should have closed after birth. PFO treatments decrease the risk of stroke. The main treatment options include: Medication such as anticoagulants (blood thinners). Most people with a patent foramen ovale don't need treatment. How is an atrial septal defect treated in a child? Treatment will depend on your child's symptoms, age, and general health. PFO often has no symptoms. Many people don't need treatment unless they're at risk of stroke or blood clots.