Your Inferior Vena Cava (IVC) is the largest vein in your body. It carries your “used” blood to the right side of your heart where it is then pumped into your lungs to be re-oxygenated. After this, it travels to the left side of your heart where it is pumped again to provide oxygen and nutrients to your body tissues.
IVC filters are inserted when certain medical conditions could potentially cause blood clots to form. These clots can travel to the heart and lungs, causing serious injury or death. So, IVC filters are implanted in the inferior vena cava to catch blood clots and prevent this from happening.
What Type of Patients are Affected?
Some patients are at increased risk for forming blood clots. Traditionally, blood thinners are used to thin the blood and prevent clots from forming. But, for some patients, blood thinners are not an option for various reasons. Therefore, a filter may be implanted in the patient to “catch” the blood clot and prevent it from traveling to the heart and lungs which could cause pulmonary embolism or death.
These devices were intended to be placed as a temporary preventive measure until the threat of a deadly blood clot has passed. However, the devices are sometimes left in long term because of the danger of removing them. Unfortunately, studies show that the filters themselves can sometimes cause serious injury or death.
Which Filters are Defective?
There is a very serious problem associated with some of these filters (mostly manufactured by C R BARD, Inc. and Cook Medical) … so serious that patients are suffering serious injury and even death with these defective devices. Specifically, if you have one of the following devices implanted, you could be in danger:
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BARD Recovery
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Bard G2
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Bard G2X
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Bard G2 Express
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Eclipse, Meridian
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Cook Gunther Tulip
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Cook Celect
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Boston Scientific Greenfield
IVC Filter Complications
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IVC Filter Fracture
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Perforation, Puncture or Serious Damage to the Heart, Lungs or Vena Cava
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Internal Bleeding
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Cardiac or Pericardial Tamponade
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Ventricle Tachycardia
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Lower Limb DVT
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Hematoma or Nerve Injury at the Puncture Site
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Constant and Severe Pain in the Heart, Chest or Elsewhere in the Body
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Pulmonary Embolism
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Infection
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Death
What Should You do if you Believe You Have a Defective IVC Filter?
First and foremost, consult with your physician. Imaging studies can be obtained to examine the filter to see if it is broken, dislodged or has migrated. Sometimes there can be a problem with your filter, but you may not have any immediate symptoms.
Even if you are not currently having any problems with your IVC Filter, you should follow up frequently with your doctor and consider all of your options, including having the device removed.
If you believe you have an IVC filter, but you are unsure whether you have one of the defective products, it is very easy to find out which product you have. You may simply call your physicians’ office or you can request the product identification from the hospital where the device was implanted.
Contact Van Wey, Metzler & Williams P.L.L.C. with Questions
Be sure to contact our office with any questions or concerns you might have with your IVC filter today. Whether you have one implanted currently, or if you are considering removal because you may have a defective IVC filter, we would like to help you, and also hold the manufacturers responsible for their negligence.
Fill out this form or call us at 800-489-5082 today for help.
By: Kay Van Wey | November 11th, 2015