IVC Filter Placement And Removal

IVC Filter Placement And Removal
An option for potentially preventing blood clots from moving to the lungs

• For those with a history of blood clots, as well as people who cannot take blood thinners
• Retrievable filters may be removed once the risk of a clot traveling to the heart and lungs passes
• Involves Interventional Radiology

Blood clots that develop in the veins of the leg or pelvis, a condition called deep vein thrombosis (DVT), occasionally break up and large pieces of the clot can travel to the lungs. An IVC filter is a small metal device that traps large clot fragments and prevents them from traveling through the vena cava vein to the heart and lungs, where they could cause severe complications such as pain, difficulty breathing, shortness of breath or even death.