Hundreds of thousands of patients have received an implantable blood clot filter since these devices first became available in the late 1970s.

These filters are used to prevent blood clot-related conditions like pulmonary embolism.

Pulmonary embolism is a condition in which a blood clot blocks the pulmonary artery. It can be very painful and can make breathing difficult or eventually lead to death.

IVC filters are used in patients who are at risk for such conditions but for whom anticoagulant mediation might not be a good idea.

The filter consists of a cone-shaped wire cage that is placed inside the inferior vena cava, the large blood vessel that returns blood from the lower body to the heart and lungs.

If everything goes as it’s intended to, the filter will stay in place and trap any blood clots that would otherwise migrate up towards the heart. Once the clot is trapped in the blood clot filter, the blood’s naturally occurring anticoagulants will gradually dissolve it.

Blood Clot Filter Complications

Unfortunately, things don’t always go according to plan with these blood clot filters. Many different models of filters have been the subject of reports of complications that have been painful, damaging, and in some cases life-threatening.

Reports say that some of these filters have fallen apart or broken after being implanted. The resulting filter fragments may then be left loose in the bloodstream, creating a risk that they may lodge in the heart or lungs.

Other filters have migrated out of position or punctured the inferior vena cava. Filter punctures have the potential to perforate nearby organs.

Still other patients have reported suffering from other blood clot related conditions like deep vein thrombosis, a condition in which a blood clot lodges in the leg.

Retrieving these filters from inside the body can also lead to complications, even with filters that were specifically designed to be retrieved. In some cases, IVC filter complications have made retrieval of the filter either impractical or impossible.

The FDA addressed reports like these in a 2010 safety alert. The agency, which maintains a database of medical device adverse event reports, said it had received a total of 921 reports of adverse events associated with IVC filters.

Reported complications included perforations, detachments, fracturing filters, and migration away from the filter’s proper position.

The FDA followed up in 2014 with new instructions for health care providers. The agency noted that some of the reported complications involved filters that were designed to be retrievable but had been left in place longer than they were clinically needed.

The FDA now recommends that retrievable filters be removed as soon as the risk of pulmonary embolism has subsided, to help avoid the risk of filter complications.

IVC Filter Lawsuits

Hundreds of patients who were allegedly injured due to IVC filter failure have taken to the court system to seek compensation for their injuries.

Manufacturers C.R. Bard, Cook Medical and Boston Scientific have found themselves on the receiving end of a slew of IVC filter lawsuits.

Plaintiffs generally allege these manufacturers knew about the risks of complications associated with these devices yet failed to properly alert doctors or the public about those risks.

Many say they never would have agreed to have their filter implanted if they had been fully informed of the risks involved.