The skilled team of cardiologists at The Heart Center at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore, Maryland provides diagnosis and treatment for patent foramen ovale. Patent foramen transcatheter repair is a procedure to fix this hole in the heart.Normally, the atrial septum separates the right and left atria. Everyone has a PFO at birth. It is a normal part of the circulation of a fetus. 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. The foramen ovale usually closes 6 months to a year after the baby's birth. Patent foramen ovale and atrial septal defect closure is a routine procedure to close holes in the upper chambers of the heart.