The foramen ovale typically closes after birth, within the first year of life. In patients with PFO who have had blood clots or strokes, closure of the hole is recommended to reduce the risk of future strokes.In this heart surgery, the surgeon uses stitches to close the PFO . A patent foramen ovale repair, or closure, is a procedure that closes the flap in the wall of the atrial septum, also called a patent foramen ovale. A PFO closure uses a medical device to close an opening between your heart's two upper chambers. You only need this opening as a fetus. A patent foramen ovale occurs when a hole that is always present in a newborn's heart fails to close as it should once the lungs begin to function after birth. A PFO closure fills an opening between your heart's two upper chambers. 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.