If you’ve suffered from any complications as a result of your IVC implant, you may be entitled to compensation.
An IVC filter, which is also known as an inferior vena cava filter or blood-clot filter, is a medical device that’s designed to save lives. It’s implanted in the inferior vena cava in order to reduce the risk of pulmonary emboli. The small wire filter catches blood clots before they get to the lungs or other vital organs.
IVC filters are often utilized in patients who have a high risk of developing blood clots and are unable to take anticoagulant medication. From 1999 to 2008, use of IVC filters has increased by 111.5%1. As the number of IVC filter implants grow, so does the evidence of risks and side effects.
There are two main types of IVC filters: permanent and retrievable. Permanent IVC filters are implanted in patients who require long-term protection from pulmonary emboli.
Those who require short-term protection typically received retrievable IVC filters. That means after the risk has passed, the filter should be removed. Many types of IVC filters, including BARD IVC Filters, are made to be retrievable. Unfortunately, some remain in patients long after the risk of pulmonary embolism is over.
Here are some potential risks:
If the IVC filter moves or breaks apart, you may suffer from some of the following symptoms:
In one case, a woman suffered from intermittent pain in her abdomen that became worse and worse as time went on2. Back in 1992, she received an IVC implant after being diagnosed with a life-threatening deep-venous thrombosis and pulmonary embolism. The device remained implanted for more than 18 years.
Eventually, it came loose and became embedded in her intestines, causing immense pain. These side effects are not always easily diagnosed as a result of IVC filters because they can affect parts of the body far from where the device was implanted.
We are currently investigating many types of IVC filters that may have caused dangerous situations for patients. If you have had any of the following IVC filter implants, please contact us immediately:
Despite being designed to prevent life-threatening blood clots, IVC filters have ended up causing a greater risk in many patients. Lawsuits against the makers of IVC filters claim that the manufacturers failed to adequately warn patients and physicians of the risks involved with the medical devices.
In fact, the FDA received 921 adverse reports related to IVC filters between 2005 and 2010, including 328 involving device migration, 146 involving detachment, 70 involving perforation of the inferior vena cava, and 56 involving filter fracture3.
Despite these warnings from the FDA, many IVC filter manufacturers still do not let patients know the risks.
In fact, current lawsuits claim that manufacturer C.R. Bard knowingly hid the results of its own study because it found the filters to be dangerous. According to NBC News4, the doctor of the internal study concluded: “Further investigation…is urgently warranted.”
