How Do You Move an Elephant?

Keep Pushing Stroke survivors face many obstacles in their journey through recovery. Last week I was a guest with Brain Harris of MedRhythms on his show Brains with Brian. We discussed many topics and the needed push effective stroke recovery plans require to get enough reps to drive motor recovery with neuroplasticity. We covered many …

At this moment of realizing you are having a stroke, we all have this one thing in common

In this post: A spotlight on Hailey Bieber’s “mini”stroke (TIA or transient ischemic attack) and PFO Closure. What is this condition and what caused her stroke? In her video, “telling my story” Hailey shares: What were her stroke warning signs, acting FAST, her stroke score, testing and diagnosis (bubble echo study, and trans cranial doppler), …

Stroke Recovery and The Power of Team and Coach

-One Smile Can Begin a Friendship- -One Hope Can Raise our Spirits- -One Act Can Inspire a Movement- -One Touch Can Show You Care- Full Interview Available Now on the Know Stroke Podcast S2E7 There is power in being one team working together. The power of the group becomes one. We dive into this topic …

A Gross Case of Lack of Surgical Oversight in PFO Closure

Why is it so difficult to prevent unnecessary medical procedures in the US Healthcare System? This was the subheading of a recent article in the Politics section of the Atlantic on August 13,2021 by Chris Outcalt that caught my eye after a Google alert for stroke and PFO flagged it for me. Image Source: The …

PFO Post Closure ” Do I take these pills for life? “

Once a hole in the heart is plugged with a PFO closure device the common question asked by patients is how long does one need to continue antiplatelet therapy?   According to a new analysis reported in The Journal of the American College of Cardiology, long-term follow-up of patients who underwent patent foramen ovale (PFO) …

Another PFO trial shows evidence of better outcomes for stroke patients following PFO closure

The findings support results of several trials and suggest that patients with a higher-risk #PFO are likely to benefit from a pfo closure device. According to findings presented at the 67th American College of Cardiology’s Annual Scientific Session,  patients who received a medical device to close a patent foramen ovale (PFO) after a stroke fared better …

Are patients with a patent foramen ovale at increased risk of perioperative ischemic stroke?

Posted by David Dansereau for Know-Stroke.org As reported in the February 6, 2018 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association  | Source:  JAMA. 2018;319(5):452-462.   This study tested the hypothesis that a preoperatively diagnosed PFO is associated with increased risk of perioperative ischemic stroke among patients undergoing noncardiac surgery. Summary of Findings: For adults undergoing non-cardiac surgery, …

Are cardiologists and neurologists finally working together to find consensus on the role of patent foramen ovale (PFO) closure after stroke?

The decision to close a PFO after a stroke should certainly only be made after extensive testing and collaboration by patients and clinicians working closely together.  From my experience being involved as a stroke patient advocate and following the stories of cryptogenic stroke patients with PFO over time, I’ve learned first hand that part of …

GORE® CARDIOFORM Septal Occluder used in REDUCE trial returns positive results

According to recent Gore announcement, their PFO closure device  showed a statistically significant reduction in stroke recurrence in the primary intent-to-treat analysis.  Read the full Gore press release here…  

FDA approves Amplatzer

News announcement from FDA you’ll be interested in if you’ve suffered a cryptogenic stroke from a suspected PFO and need more choice for treatment