Request Your Free Confidential Evaluation Today
888-987-5035
Injured by complications related to an IVC filter?
"In 2010 alone, the FDA says that it received more than 900 reports of IVC filter injuries and adverse events, mostly comprising device migrations"
Notice: Form too long and overlaps with content? Add content here.
Complications with IVC Filters
In April 2003, Bard introduced the Recovery IVC filter. As a result of several reports of broken filters, Bard redesigned the device and released the Bard G2 IVC filter in October 2005. This model was meant to be more resistant to fractures than its predecessor, but has now been the subject of numerous reports of IVC filter fracture and migration.
There have been reports of the IVC blood clot filter falling out of place or breaking apart. The metal device, or pieces from it, can then move through the blood, working their way through a vein wall and damaging an internal organ. There are also reports of blood clots occurring at the location where the device was inserted – the same clotting that the device is supposed to prevent. To date, the Recovery IVC Filter has been implicated in at least 30 deaths and 300 injuries.
In conclusion, the IVC filter products are known to break apart (fracture), move, puncture, and result in significant retrieval complications. Perforation (puncturing) of important organs (such as the heart and lungs) is frequent in cases where an IVC filter has broken, fractured, and/or migrated (moved). Retrieval of these filters is often unsuccessful, requiring multiple surgeries.
Side Effects Include
- Heart or Lung Perforation
- Filter Fracture or Filter Migration
- Hemorrhagic Pericardial Effusion or Other Hemorrhage
- Cardiac Tamponade or Pericardial Pamponade
- Punctured Vena Cava
Recall status for IVC Filters
As of this time, there has not been a recall of Bard's IVC blood clot filter. However, the investigation into this device, from a legal standpoint, is still in its early stages. It often takes many years; tens of thousands of hours of attorney time; and the expense of many millions of dollars before all the facts come out that will lead to a recall. However, the FDA has issued two warnings about the device, and recommends that it be used only temporarily if a patient is unable to take anticoagulant (blood clot) medication. The FDA recommends that patients who have received an IVC Filter talk with their physicians as soon as possible to make sure it has not moved or broken apart, and whether the device should now be removed.