Synthesis of systematic reviews of percutaneous device closure of patent foramen ovale (PFO) for prevention of recurrent cryptogenic stroke: Redundant publications and methodological deficiencies.

Critical assessments of systemic reviews and meta-analyses have found them to often be redundant, lacking in novel perspectives, of poor methodological quality, and written by authors with potential conflicts of interest. We sought to investigate these issues as they relate to systemic reviews and meta-analyses of percutaneous patent foramen ovale closure for the prevention of recurrent cryptogenic stroke.