Some IVC Blood Clot Filters Cause Complications

When the Federal Drug Administration first approved Inferior Vena Cava (IVC) blood clot filters for medical use in the late 1970’s, the retrievable IVC filter was considered a huge breakthrough.

For patients who were suffering from life-threating blood clot issues, but were unable to take blood-thinning medication, IVC filters became an increasingly prescribed solution. Implantation required minimally invasive surgery, and removable models were supposed to give physicians the ability to correct any issues that down the road.

However, reports issued in 2010 by doctors at the FDA have revealed a disturbing number of incidents where IVC blood clot filters have malfunctioned, moved out of position or worse. As a result, patients IVC Blood Clot Filters have experienced organ damage, severe pain and even death.

Consider:
•    In a 2013 study published in the Journal of American Medicine, only 58 of 679 IVC filters that were intended to be temporary were ever removed.
•    Of those implantations, nearly 20% attempts at removal failed.
•    At least 10 patients suffered serious complications attributed to a lack of removal of the device.

While many IVC Blood Clot Filters work successfully, studies continue to show that certain models made by a small group of manufacturers have higher-failure rates. As a result, several successful lawsuits have resulted in significant awards for patients who suffered complications.

If you or a loved one have an IVC Blood Clot Filter, we encourage you to contact a defective product lawyer familiar with the complex issues caused their malfunction.