Dr. Reisman says the possibility of a link between the heart defect and migraines is unexpected and intriguing. "We believe, by virtue of it being bypassed, there's a chemical substance which we haven't yet identified that could potentially provoke headaches in, I believe, patients who are susceptible to them," says Dr. Reisman. The procedure is still being studied for this particular purpose and is not FDA-approved for the treatment of migraines.

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