IVC filter removal

What is IVC filter removal, and why is it done?

An IVC filter is a small, cage-like device placed in a large vein in the belly. It catches blood clots before they reach the lungs. Some filters are meant to stay in for good. Others can be taken out once the risk of a clot in the lungs has passed.

Doctors use a filter when a person at risk of a clot in the lungs cannot take blood thinners, or when blood thinners do not work. A filter does not stop new clots from forming.

FDA has reports of filters that moved, broke or pushed through the vein wall. It says these problems may be tied to how long a filter stays in. In 2014, FDA said some of them may be avoided if a retrievable filter comes out once it is no longer needed.

When should I talk to my doctor about IVC filter removal?

Ask your doctor whether you still need your filter. FDA has told doctors to think about removal as soon as a filter is no longer needed, and to weigh the risks and benefits for each person. Only you and your doctor can make this choice.

Never have a device removed just for a lawsuit. Removal is a medical choice, and the procedure has its own risks. Some filters are made to stay in for life.

Before the visit, write down what you want to know, such as what kind of filter you have and whether it can come out. If an answer is not clear, ask again.

How is a filter taken out, and how is a stuck filter treated?

Doctors often take filters out with tools called snares. A filter that has been in for a long time can get stuck in the vein wall. Then it can be hard to remove, and the procedure can lead to problems.

In 2021, FDA allowed a laser tool that helps free a stuck filter when other ways have failed. In a study of 265 people at 7 sites, doctors got the filter out in 96 of every 100 tries. About 3 in 100 had a significant problem from the device, such as bleeding or a broken filter.

Which records matter after IVC filter removal?

Start with the report on the removal. When it is done as surgery in a hospital, the surgeon must write and sign a report right after. Federal rules call it the operative report. It says what was done, what was found and what was taken out.

Also ask for the scan reports from before and after, and the record from the day the filter went in.

A device label carries a code called a UDI. It names the company on the label and the model, and it can show the lot number.

Ask whether the removed filter or any tissue was sent to the lab. If it was, ask for the pathology report too. A pathologist, a doctor trained to study cells and tissue under a microscope, writes that report.

Ask whether the filter, or any piece of it, was kept after it came out, and where it went. FDA’s form for reporting a device problem asks if the device is still there to be checked, or if it went back to the maker.

You have a right to copies of your records, including X-rays and other images. Our medical records request tool can help you write the request.

What does research say about IVC filters and removal?

FDA says some filter problems may be linked to how long a filter stays in. That is why it asked doctors to think about taking out filters that are no longer needed. Reports sent to FDA tell what someone saw, but a report alone does not show that the device caused the problem.

From 2005 until its 2010 notice, FDA got 921 reports about filter problems. Of those, 328 reports were about filters that moved. Reports like these cannot show how often problems happen.

In the Bard filter cases, the court ruled on expert evidence and held test trials. In April 2021, the judge closed the shared Bard case group. Open cases were set to go back to their home courts or move to other courts.

In a large U.S. study, filters were taken out of 632 of the 1,421 people who got one. Half of those filters were out within 86 days. Problems during removal were uncommon and usually minor, but one person died during a removal attempt.

Who brings IVC filter claims in these cases?

People who had a Bard or Cook IVC filter brought these cases. They say the filters were defective and hurt them. The Cook cases say the design made filters more likely to break, move, tilt or push through the vein. A lawyer can look at your records and tell you if you may have a claim.

The two companies’ cases were grouped in different federal courts, and their histories differ. The IVC filter case page explains where each one stands.

Can a family member get records after IVC filter removal?

Often, yes. HIPAA lets a personal representative act for the patient on health records. Examples include a parent of a minor child and a person named in an adult’s health care power of attorney.

Parents usually can get a child’s records, though there are a few exceptions. If the patient has died, the executor or administrator of the estate can get the records tied to that role. Family who helped with care may also be told facts tied to that help. State law decides who can act.

For a death, the wrongful death case page gives a general view of how those claims work.