MASSDEVICE ON CALL — A catheter-based procedure to close holes in patients’ hearts proved no better at preventing recurrent strokes than medication alone, according to a study published today in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Researchers compared use of NMT Medical’s StarFlex septal closure system with drug therapy against drug therapy alone, concluding that there were no statistically significant differences in stroke prevention between the 2 options for patients with patent foremen ovale, a hole between the upper chambers of the heart.