Blood clotting can cause major complications for patients, and even place them at risk of death. To combat this danger, many patients and their doctors choose to implant an IVC filter in order to prevent blood clots from entering a patient’s lungs or heart.

IVC filter placement is implanted inside the inferior vena cava, the largest vein in the human body. The inferior vena cava returns blood back into the heart and then on to the lungs. Blood clots in this vein are therefore extremely dangerous.

Blood clots which travel to the lungs can become a pulmonary embolism (PE) which cuts off blood flow to the lungs. PE causes about 300,000 deaths every year, though they are preventable with the right measures. One of the measures possible is an IVC filter procedure.

IVC filters, also known as inferior vena cava filters, are implanted in a patient’s main artery in order to prevent blood clots from moving into places where they can cause great harm, such as the lungs and heart. Over time, the clot dissipates rather than becoming a problem.

While blood clots are indeed a substantial risk, reports in recent years suggest that IVC filter complications that come with the IVC filter procedure may be more harmful than the clots themselves – or at least, not worth the risk.

IVC Filter Complications

According to adverse event reports received by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the past ten years, hundreds of patients have suffered from punctured organs and filter migrations, which can cause major complications.

IVC filter complications that have been reported include: the IVC filter device moving out of position, puncturing a vein, and pieces of the device traveling to the heart, lungs, or elsewhere in the body.

IVC filter complications can occur if the device is defective, or if the original IVC filter placement was not done correctly. If an IVC filter is slightly out of position, it can be forced even more out of its proper placement over time.

While the first step in alleviating IVC filter complications like these is IVC filter removal, in some cases, IVC filter removal can be too dangerous. However, in a worst case scenario, failure at IVC filter removal can lead to pulmonary embolism, placing the patient at severe risk.

IVC Filter Lawsuits

IVC filter lawsuits across the U.S. are claiming that the product can be dangerous to patients. Lawsuits allege that the IVC filters are not worth the risk, given that the devices themselves may be more harmful than the clots.

The lawsuits allege that Bard Medical was aware that the design can lead to major IVC filter complications, but continued marketing and selling the product anyway, placing personal profit over patient safety.

The FDA has responded to these claims against the IVC filters’ safety, recommending that the devices only be used on a temporary rather than permanent basis, and only if medications or other treatments are deemed ineffective.

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 a retrievable IVC filter placement, 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.