Inferior Vena Cava (IVC) Filter Placement and Retrieval
Clots to the lungs, or pulmonary embolism, are common. In every 1000 people, at least one person per year will have a pulmonary embolism, or which up to 30% can be deadly. The most common source of pulmonary embolism are the formation of blood clots in the legs. These blood clots, known as deep vein thrombosis (DVT), travel through the legs and to the lungs. Here they can decrease the ability of your lungs to exchange oxygen and possibly stop your heart from pumping blood.
Most DVTs can be treated with blood thinning medications (anticoagulation). However, many people cannot tolerate anticoagulation for a variety of reasons (bleeding, planned surgery, etc.). Others may tolerate anticoagulation but may have genetic factors that supersede these medications and result in continued clot formation. These patients may benefit from placement of an IVC filter. These are devices that are placed in the main vein in the abdomen that work just like a car’s air conditioning filter. They let blood pass but block any big clots from traveling to the lungs where they could be deadly.
Filters are temporary devices and can be placed as an outpatient by our providers. The procedure takes about an hour and can be performed in an hour with limited pain.
Although these devices are very helpful in preventing a major medical problem, if they are left in place unnecessarily for long period of time, they can distort and extend from the vein into structures like the surrounding bone and stomach which can be painful. Our providers specialize in taking out these filters, including ones that have been placed for years, in a safe manner.