We use catheter-based techniques to close a PFO, meaning you don't need open-heart surgery. During a PFO closure, your surgeon will perform the following steps.PFO closure with the Amplatzer 14,15 or Helex devices appears safe with fluoroscopic guidance only and without routine balloon sizing. If you have a PFO and low blood oxygen levels or an unexplained stroke, you may need a procedure to close the hole. Sorensen had been conducting PFO closures for nearly a decade and was considered one of the country's prominent practitioners. Most people with patent foramen ovale (PFO), a common opening in the dividing wall of the heart, do not require treatment. We hypothesized that patent foramen ovale closure would not result in a demonstrated benefit in children. ‡Coherex Medical, Salt Lake City, Utah. Been performed to rule out alternative mechanisms of stroke, as was performed in all positive PFO closure trials (B). We hypothesized that patent foramen ovale closure would not result in a demonstrated benefit in children. Methods.