My son, 22, recently had a stroke.  He is in good health, a black belt, etc.  The cardiologist who found the PFO explained that there was some dispute as to whether PFOs REALLY caused strokes however it was very clear that he personally believed it.  The echocardiagram lasted forty five minutes as he watched the PFO allow blood to flow back and forth in the two vertical chambers of my son's heart.  Certainly if a clot DID make it's way into my son's heart via the veins it COULD have been passed to the other side of his heart and then passed along to his brain via the arteries delivering supposedly fresh blood. Certainly somehow a clot had made it to his brain.

 

In all honesty, my son's antithrombin test was 'borderline' low which means, apparently, that the event of the stroke might have coincidentally depressed his levels  below normal (doctor #4) or he may have a blood clotting disorder. Which means that the clot have formed anywhere at all, including right in his brain.  This disorder is passed directly from parent to child and neither his father nor I (nor anyone in either family) has ever had a clotting disorder (or indeed a clot that anyone knows of, or a PE or in fact even a single heart attack). 

 

Cardiologist # 1 advised the PFO closure.   Neurologist #1 advised the closure and thought the Antithrombin test probably insignificant.  Neurologist #2 disagreed and put my son on Coumadin and told him no more martial arts and that the PFO closure was now overkill.  Cardiologist #2 (who would do the closure) advised a visit to a hematologist to clear up the matter of the clotting disorder and if it existed to stay on coumadin and wait for an even less invasive closure technology than exists today - but doing it eventually (he thought it still a good idea just not urgent while my son is on coumadin) Cardiologist #3 (who happens to be IN Martial Arts with my son) (the reason we went to a third cardiologist) scoffed a bit at the test, indicating the events we'd have seen in our families if one of us was carrying one or especially two of these mutated genes.

The GP my daughter saw when she was tested also felt it very unlikely my son has an AT deficiency and pointed out that an event like a stroke could itself lower those levels temporarily.

 

So we go to a hematologist next week for more extensive testing to verify the thing one way or another.  IF there is no AT defiency my son will most likely get the PFO and get off coumadin.  If there is in fact a blood clotting disorder of any kind we then reevaluate our options.

 

At any rate, good luck with your own decision.

 

 

Terijo