“Can a person with an unclosed heart hole have hip replacement surgery?”

I'm asking on behalf of my 71-year-old sister, who had a major stroke two years ago because of a clot that traveled through a pfo to her brain. The hole couldn't be closed with a device because she's allergic to the metal in the device. I found information about the Noblestitch method of closing pfos, which looked like a good solution to me, but she said her doctors said the procedure is too new. So, she's still living with an unclosed heart hole, taking blood thinners, and now she needs a hip replacement, but she doesn't know if she'll be approved for hip surgery because of the heart hole. I don't have information about her medications, sorry, we're 3,000 miles apart and I'm asking this without her knowledge. What can someone in her situation do? Should her doctors take a closer look at Noblestitch? Thanks for any insight you can provide. - A Concerned Brother