It normally closes within the first or second year of life. When the foramen ovale doesn't close, it's called a patent foramen ovale.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 small hole between the atria that doesn't seal as it should after you're born. Mitral valve regurgitation. 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. In this heart surgery, the surgeon uses stitches to close the PFO . A PFO closure fills an opening between your heart's two upper chambers. The foramen ovale usually closes 6 months to a year after the baby's birth.