Strokecast

If you have a hole in the middle of your heart and it's not supposed to be there, is that a problem? Should it be fixed? The answer is a resounding, "Maybe." Dr. David Thaler and his colleagues looked at the impact of PFO closure on stroke patients and found that often, the best solution is to leave it alone. They developed a scoring system to help neurologists and cardiologist make the best decision on a patient-by-patient basis. Dr. Thaler joins me in this conversation to talk about the research and recommendations. (If you don't see the audio player below, visit http://Strokecast.com/PFO) Click here for a machine generated transcript. About Dr. Thaler Dr. David Thaler, MD, PhD, FAHA, is the Neurologist in Chief at Tufts University Medical school. He is the Chairman and an active professor in the Department of Neurology. Additionally, he continues to treat patients and is a clinician focused on stroke care. He  continues to work to advance the field with a research focus on acute m