A Kansas woman filed an IVC filter lawsuit nearly eight years after her husband died, after discovering that the Bard IVC filter used during his surgery may have been responsible.

Eugene B. underwent bariatric surgery at the University of Kansas Medical Center in Kansas. Shortly afterwards, during his recovery, Eugene felt pressure in his chest. A few minutes later, he fell unconscious and died.

At the time, plaintiff Kathleen B., Eugene’s wife, believed that her husband’s death was a result of complications from the surgery. However, after learning of problems linked to IVC filters, Kathleen came to believe that her husband died because of the very device that was supposed to save his life.

IVC Filter Side Effects

When Eugene went in for bariatric surgery, he had previously had a pulmonary embolism, making doctors cautious about potential complications. Eugene’s doctor allegedly agreed to bariatric surgery as long as Eugene was first implanted with a Bard IVC filter, the Recovery blood clot filter.

This device was intended to break blood clots up to prevent them from causing harm throughout his body. However, that’s not what happened. According to Eugene’s autopsy report, he died when the Bard IVC filter broke away and traveled directly to his heart.

The autopsy reports that a blood clot pushed the IVC filter out of place, dislodging it and sending it towards Eugene’s heart. Without the filter, the clot would not have killed Eugene. It was the filter itself — both failing to do its job and being sent into his heart — that led to his untimely death, the IVC filter lawsuit claims.

According to Kathleen’s IVC filter lawsuit, Bard Medical has known that there were major issues with the Recovery IVC filter and yet continued marketing it as safe and effective. Bard continuously allowed their defective device to be implanted into patients.

Government data shows that the Bard IVC filter has contributed to at least 27 deaths and 300 IVC filter side effects for patients across the country.

Bard Medical hired an outside doctor to run a study on their IVC filter device. According to NBC news, the study found that the Recovery was linked with a higher risk of death, as well as other severe IVC filter side effects.

These IVC filter side effects include filter fracture and moving, which can lead to severe injury and death.

Bard did not recall the IVC filter and has sold approximately 34,000 devices. However, the company has created a replacement device.

According to IVC filter lawsuit, Eugene’s Recovery IVC filter was implanted one month after a new and safer filter was made available. Despite this new filter’s existence, Bard did not recall the old and defective device.

IVC Filter Lawsuits

Because Bard has not recalled their dangerous device, Kathleen’s IVC filter lawsuit claims that there may be thousands of others currently implanted with the dangerous IVC filter, unaware that it may be harmful.

Injured patients have filed lawsuits against a number of IVC filter makers, citing organ damage due to filter migration and breaks, as well as other serious complications.

If you or someone you know has undergone complications due to retrievable IVC filters, you may have cause to file an IVC filter lawsuit. Filing a lawsuit does not repair the damage, but can help compensate for the physical, emotional, and financial losses felt as a result of these devices.