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IVC Filters

Defective IVC Filter Attorneys

Defective inferior vena cava (IVC) filters can cause life-threatening injuries and have been associated with numerous deaths. An IVC filter is a medical device that is placed in a blood vessel to trap blood clots and prevent them from moving into the heart or lungs. However, the devices can fail or break, and the entire device or pieces of it can then travel into the heart or lungs. If you or someone you love has been harmed by an IVC filter, the defective medical device attorneys of Wood Law Firm LLP, can help you hold the device maker responsible. Please contact us right away.

Why IVC Filters are Used

Retrievable IVC filters are used when there is a temporary risk of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) or pulmonary embolism (PE) due to events such as:

  • Accidents
  • Emergency surgery
  • Elective surgery
  • Cancer treatment
  • Kidney dialysis
  • Pregnancy

IVC filters are not appropriate for all patients at risk for DVT or PE. It is used when anticoagulant drugs cannot be use or have not been effective. Examples of reason why a person cannot take anticoagulants drugs include:

  • Severe active bleeding
  • Intracranial bleeding
  • Pregnancy
  • Spinal cord surgery
  • Eye surgery
  • Malignant hypertension
  • Recent stroke
  • Recent major surgery
  • Severely low platelet count
  • Drug allergy

IVC Complications and Injuries

  • Device migration
  • Device fracture
  • Pieces of the device breaking off and moving into the heart or lungs (embolism)
  • Tilting of the device
  • Perforation of the blood vessel in which it was placed
  • Perforation of internal organs
  • Migration of the entire device
  • DVT
  • Occlusion of the IVC
  • Blood clot pushing the filter into the heart or lungs
  • Complications of surgery to remove IVC filter

If you have a defective IVC filter, it is not a simple matter of having it removed. Removal of a defective IVC filter is complicated and very dangerous. Pieces of the filter can break off during surgery and travel to the heart.

Retrievable IVC Filters Should be Removed as Soon as Safe

Retrievable IVC filters are designed to be removable, but they are typically left in place, even after the danger of PE or DVT has passed. To minimize the risk of complications, injuries and death, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends removing retrievable filters as soon as their protection is no longer needed.

If you have been harmed by a defective IVC filter, or if you have lost a loved one to IVC filter complications, you may be able to recover substantial compensation from the device maker. To learn more about your rights and how we can help, please call the Amarillo defective IVC Filter attorneys of Wood Law Firm LLP, at 806-372-WOOD (9663) or schedule your free initial consultation right away.

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