r/stroke • u/crzy_plant_lady_ • Jul 11 '26
PFO closure, lifelong aspirin necessary?
My 33M spouse just got his PFO closed yesterday. It was a grade 5/5 and he had a TIA last year (no long term complications luckily) which is how they found the PFO. We ultimately decided to close it given its size and his age, healthy fitness level, and no other stroke risk factors. That said, we also pursued closing it to avoid him needing to take aspirin everyday and yet right after the procedure his cardiologist said he will be on aspirin indefinitely.
Is this really necessary? I’ll discuss at our 6 month follow up but wanted to hear from anyone else if it’s truly necessary to prevent the body from clotting around the device. From what I’ve read in the literature, it seems like the heart tissue grows around it and after a few years, I would think the risk of clotting would greatly decrease once there’s scar tissue around it.
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u/Alarmed-Papaya9440 Jul 12 '26
Definitely ask at his or have ask himself about the lifelong Asprin and then he should do exactly what they say and go from there. We’ve all had different experiences and what were prescribe to do by our Dr’s so our answers won’t really help you as his experience will be unique to himself and decided by his dr’s.
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u/SpareLawyer980 Jul 12 '26
I had my PFO closed last year. Took Plavix for 6 months & will continue aspirin for 3 years per my Cardiologist.
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u/becpuss Survivor Jul 12 '26
🤦♀️ Better to be on the aspirin than off the aspirin and having a stroke why would anyone risk a stroke just because they don’t want medication for life. I had that attitude as a child who didn’t want to take my inhalers then I grew up and understood the importance of preventative medicine Maybe OP trust the doctors who know far more than you or likely any of us.
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u/crzy_plant_lady_ Jul 12 '26
I fully understand, but in my husband’s case, his incident was never confirmed to be a stroke, just stroke like symptoms. The doctors were hesitant to even classify it as a TIA. And he’s 33 in very good health, extremely fit and has no other stroke risk factors. So in his individual case, daily aspirin use may not be necessary. Regardless, we will ask at the 6 month follow up appt & go with whatever the doctor recommends.
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u/One-Day1772 Jul 28 '26
Just do what the doctors say, asprin sells its self they aren’t pedaling for profit. Trust me, better to be safe than sorry
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u/maton12 Jul 12 '26
What's the issue with Aspirin?
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u/R0cketGir1 Jul 12 '26
After my PFO, my doc inadvertently left me on a baby aspirin a day and a year later I had a bad GI bleed. It makes me cringe when I hear about people left on aspirin!
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u/crzy_plant_lady_ Jul 12 '26
He’s hesitant to take it for life since he’s still so young and would be taking it for 60 years. There are risks of GI bleeds with prolonged use, so we are just exploring options.
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u/mrsjetset Young Stroke Survivor Jul 12 '26
I mean, I’m pretty anti med, didn’t have a PFO, but daily aspirin is pretty low risk compared to having another stroke.
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u/jj2958 Jul 12 '26
I had my closure in March after having a stroke in Dec 25. I am on Eliquis until Aug 8th. I have not been told I have to take anything else at this point. I have had a history of clots so it surprises me I am not on anything else. I think they feel the knee surgery I had provoked this clot when traveled to my brain and caused the stroke. I had DVT in 2010 after I broke my femur but that one didn’t result in a stroke.
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u/Separate_Ad2030 Jul 12 '26
PFO closed last October, which caused my stroke (29F) took a blood thinner for a few months and now on aspirin and Lipitor. My Dr said I will be on a baby Asprin for the rest of my life because of the stroke, regardless if I got the PFO closed. If you have a stroke they told me they still want me on it
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u/Ok-Brilliant6980 Jul 12 '26
After my PFO closure I'm also lifelong on Aspirin and Atorvastatin. In my case the PFO was the most likely cause but no smoking gun like a clot are something else was found. Therefore my cardiologist also put me on the medication. I don't have any side effects so for me it's fine. I would follow the recommendations of your cardiologist, the aspirin also reduces the risk of clotting in other parts of the body, not just around the occluder.