If you or a person you love received an inferior vena cava (IVC) filter and have since suffered from complications and side effects, you are not alone. Many patients have received IVC filters for the purposes of preventing blood clots and have experienced potentially life-threatening side effects as a result.
Consider speaking with an IVC filter lawyer about your legal options. You may be able to pursue compensation for your losses with the help of an experienced personal injury attorney.
What is an IVC Filter?
IVC filters are designed to prevent blood clots from traveling from the pelvis to the legs, lungs, or heart. An IVC filter is placed into the patient’s inferior vena cava, a large vein that transports blood to the heart from the lower half of the body.
When functioning properly, the filter could capture blood clots otherwise at risk of traveling to the lungs or heart. These blood clots could cause life-threatening complications like chest pain, heart attack, difficulty breathing, and pulmonary embolism.
FDA Safety Statements
In 2010, the Food and Drug Administration issued a formal safety communication about IVC filters stating that between 2005 and 2010, more than 920 adverse event reports had been received, including over 320 reports of IVC filter migration. The FDA cautioned that at that point in time, some IVC filter complications could be related to long term use of the device, which has prompted many physicians to take the filters out as soon as it is safe for the patient.
The FDA’s safety communication was updated in May 2014, stating that removal of the IVC filter should occur as soon as doctors determined it was safe for the individual patient in question.
Common Complications
According to the Food and Drug Administration, some of the most common complications reported by those with IVC filters include migration of the filter, deep vein thrombosis, IVC thrombosis, IVC filter fracture, caval penetration, and access site thrombosis. If the filter breaks loose and pieces travel to the lungs or heart, fatal complications could occur.
Many of the patients who have experienced these side effects report that they were not given appropriate information about the risks before the original surgery occurred. Some of those patients chose to take legal action based on this failure to warn, especially given the high costs and risks associated with a second surgery to remove the filter.
A lawsuit could help a patient obtain compensation for all of their losses. Potential damages can include but are not limited to pain and suffering, lost wages, and medical bills. An IVC filter attorney could help victims identify and calculate a fair value for the full extent of their damages.
Hiring an IVC Filter Attorney
If you or a loved one directly experienced IVC filter side effects like perforation, migration, pulmonary embolism, or DBT, you could have grounds for a lawsuit. With the help of an IVC filter lawyer, you could hold the negligent medical device company accountable for their actions. Call Disparti Law Group today to schedule a consultation.
