Inferior vena cava filters, or IVC filters, are implanted in individuals who cannot safely take blood thinners in order to prevent clots from traveling to the lungs. These filters are designed to catch any clots and allow them time to safely dissipate. The FDA has received many reports of complications from retrievable IVC filters. The filters have punctured organs, migrated to other parts of the body, and fractured. As a result, the FDA has issued guidelines indicating that the IVC filters should be removed from the body as soon as possible, as the risk for complications increases the longer the filter stays in the body.
Numerous studies have noted high rates of complications from these devices. Of