FDA Warning on IVC Filter Cases

The Food and Drug Administration has received 900 complaints of complications with IVC filters.

In 2010, the FDA issued a warning to doctors, informing them of the risk for device fracture, migration, and organ perforation. They recommended that the retrievable filters should be removed from patients as soon as the risk for an embolism had passed.

In 2014, the FDA updated their warning, saying that patients experienced increased risk the longer the device remained in place, and recommended that doctors remove the filters after 29-54 days after implantation.

Injuries and Side Effects of IVC Filter Failure

Below are some of the injuries and side effects when an IVC Filter fails:

  • Chest pain, or pain at the location where the filter was inserted
  • Shortness of breath
  • Splitting/fracturing/breaking and Migration of the Device
  • Embedding in to organs of body
  • Perforation of the heart
  • Perforation of the lungs
  • Hemorrhagic pericardial effusion (blood around the heart)
  • Cardiac tamponade (disruption of the heart caused by excess fluid)
  • Ventricular tachycardia (accelerated heart beat)
  • Puncturing of the vena cava
  • Need for surgery to remove or surgery not possible due to life threatening conditions
  • Wrongful death

IVC filters were originally intended for short-term use. However, many patients learn that their filter cannot be safely removed. The filter may have moved or shifted, punctured a vein wall, or become embedded, making it impossible to remove. The longer your filter remains in place, the greater your chances of experiencing a complication.

Settlement News and Jury Verdict Victories for IVC Cases

Over 3,600 lawsuits have been filed as of January 2019

  • October 2018 Arizona jury awarded $3 million
  • May 2018 Texas jury awarded $1.2 million
  • April 2018 Arizona jury awarded $3.6 million