caret icon Back to all discussions

Nickle Allergy and PFO replacement

Years ago I had the hole in my heart closed(PFO ) implant and was under the impression that it would help my migraines
go away which it didn't. The PFO implant is made of nickle and I recently discovered I am allergic to nickle.There are several nickle allergies which include chronic fatigue ,shortness of breath and you guessed it ,headaches. My cardiologist said that he can fix it by removing my heart and replacing my implant with a non nickle one.He has done it a handful of times and the patients have felt better.Basically I need to decide when I am ready to have open heart surgery vs how long can I handle the side effects.Has anyone had this surgery done?

  1. Hi imalp,

    Thank you for your question and being part of our community - we're glad you're here!

    I don't have any personal experience with this surgery, but hopefully other will be along shortly to share their story with you.

    This PFO FB group has a wealth of information on all things PFO; https://www.facebook.com/groups/106434738635/.

    Best of luck,
    Nancy

    Please read our rules before posting.