A new study warns that retrievable inferior vena cava (IVC) filters may actually increase the risk of thrombosis, one of the very ailments they are supposed to help prevent, when they are left in place for an extended period of time.

This study comes in the midst of growing concerns about the alleged risk of complications from IVC filters, which are designed to reduce the risk of blood clots, pulmonary embolism, and deep venous thrombosis.

IVC Filter Thrombosis

Thrombosis is the medical term for the clotting of the blood in a blood vessel. Inferior vena cava filters are designed to catch blood clots, but over time the filter may partially or completely block the inferior vena cava. This is referred to as filter thrombosis. 

Filter thrombosis may be due to the filter catching blood clots, or the filter itself may be the primary cause of the blood clot.

According to the new study, which was published last month in the medical journal JACC: Cardiovascular Interventions, researchers from the University of Rochester Medical Center in New York indicate that unretrieved IVC filter thrombosis may account for 2.6 percent to 4 percent of all cases of deep venous thrombosis in patients implanted with inferior vena cava filters.

Removable IVC filters have become increasingly popular over the past decade for patients at risk of pulmonary embolism who are unable to take anticoagulant medications. The researchers involved in the University of Rochester study concluded that, “due to the substantial increase in the number of IVC filters placed in the United States and the very low filter retrieval rates, clinicians are faced with a very large population of patients at risk for developing IVC thrombosis.”

According to the researchers involved in the study, patients who have untreated IVC filter blood clots face a 90 percent chance of suffering post-thrombotic syndrome if the blood clot filter is not removed, a 45 percent chance of experiencing disabling venous claudication, a 30 percent chance of suffering a pulmonary embolism, and a 15 percent chance of a venous ulceration.

In an editorial accompanying the study, Dr. Michael R. Jaff of Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston writes, “Of tremendous importance is [the researchers’] recognition that the most common cause of this challenging disorder is thrombosis of previously deployed IVC filters.” He also warns that, “With the rapid expansion in placement of IVC filters, particularly in the United States, we can expect this problem to actually increase.”

In light of these significant risks, the researchers recommended that doctors plan to remove inferior vena cava filters as soon as medically possible.

Makers of Inferior Vena Cava Filters Face Litigation

Unfortunately, the makers of retrievable inferior vena cava filters have been accused of failing to issue adequate warnings about the importance of removing the devices to reduce the risk of complications, including deep venous thrombosis, which may become more likely the longer the filter remains in place.

Hundreds of IVC filter lawsuits have already been brought against C.R. Bard, Cook Medical, and other manufacturers of retrievable inferior vena cava filters.  The lawsuits allege that the companies’ retrievable IVC filters are associated with high rates of fracture, migration, and tilting, which may result in perforation of the inferior vena cava, embolization, and other life-threatening complications.

As researchers continue to investigate the potential risks of IVC filters, it is ultimately expected that several thousand product liability lawsuits will be filed against IVC filter manufacturing companies.

Individuals who experienced serious complications due to Cook Medical or C.R. Bard inferior vena cava filters may be entitled to compensation for medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and more. To learn more about filing an IVC filter lawsuit, contact an experienced IVC filter attorney for a free, no-obligation legal consultation.