I had a group presentation to do on migraines as part of my course. I was responsible for explaining how triptans work and why rizatriptan works better than other triptans. It was due to this presentation that I learned about all the different theories of the causes and triggers of migraine. One cause that we never found information about was patent foramen ovale (PFO).
PFO is a hole in the heart that embryos have and once they are fully developed it closes. In some people though, the hole doesn't close before their birth. Usually, this hole is not problematic, but it is lately believed that it could be the reason for some people's migraines associated with auras and if the hole is closed through surgery then the migraine frequency can be reduced significantly.
Though, due to the risk of this surgery, it is suggested that it should be performed only if any other treatment has not worked.
Studies to investigate if PFO is associated with migraine, if the surgery will help and to determine the risk-benefit ratio are recently taking place.