UConn Health Waterbury Hospital Successfully Completes First PFO Closure Cases

UConn Health Waterbury Hospital announced today the successful completion of its first Patent Foramen Ovale (PFO) closure procedures, marking a significant expansion of the hospital's structural heart program and its ability to offer advanced cardiac care to the local community.

A PFO closure is a minimally invasive procedure that uses a specialized medical device to seal an opening — known as the foramen ovale — between the heart's two upper chambers, or atria. This opening is a normal feature of fetal development that typically closes shortly after birth. In some individuals, however, it remains open into adulthood, a condition referred to as a patent foramen ovale, or PFO. If left untreated, a PFO can allow abnormal blood flow between the heart's chambers and, in certain cases, lead to a paradoxical embolism, which increases the risk of stroke.

With the addition of PFO closure to its structural heart offerings, UConn Health Waterbury Hospital continues to provide patients with access to advanced, minimally invasive cardiac procedures without the need to travel to larger regional medical centers.

"This is an important step forward for our Structural Heart Program and for the patients we serve," said Dr. Ehsan Ansari, physician champion for the program at UConn Health Waterbury Hospital. "Being able to offer this procedure locally means our community has access to leading-edge cardiac care close to home."

UConn Health Waterbury Hospital remains committed to expanding its clinical capabilities and bringing specialized, high-quality care directly to the patients and families it serves.

About UConn Health Waterbury Hospital 

UConn Health Waterbury Hospital is a long-standing community hospital serving Waterbury and 11 surrounding communities in Western Connecticut. As the founding member of the UConn Health Community Network, it builds on more than a century of service while connecting local care to the expertise and support of Connecticut’s only public academic medical center. 

UConn Health Waterbury Hospital provides a wide range of services, including primary care, emergency and acute care, specialty services, and home-based care, and remains committed to keeping care close to home for the communities it serves. 

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