Inferior vena cava filter

An inferior vena cava filter, also IVC filter and Greenfield filter after the successful filter from Boston Scientific, is a medicaldevice that is implanted into the inferior vena cavato prevent pulmonary emboli(PEs). IVC filters are used if the patient has a contraindicationto anticoagulationor the anticoagulants are ineffective and the patient has had recurrent PEs.

Placement

IVC filters are placed endovascularly, meaning that they are inserted via the blood vessels. Historically, IVC filters could only be placed via the groin. With modern filters which can be compressed into much thinner catheters, however, access to the venous system can be obtained either via the femoral vein (the large vein in the groin) or the internal jugular vein (the large vein in the neck.) Choice of route depends mainly on the amount and location of blood clot within the venous system. To place the filter, a catheter is guided into the IVC using flouroscopic guidance, then the filter is pushed through the catheter and deployed into the desired location, usually just below the juction of the IVC and the lowest renal vein.

Retrieval

Most IVC filters are permanent, but some filters are now available that are "retrievable." Retrievable filters are fitted with some sort of device (that varies from model to model) that allows them to be pulled back into a catheter (technically a "sheath") and removed from the body. In general, filters must have been in the IVC for less than three weeks to attempt retrieval, as filters that have been in place longer will be overgrown by cells from the IVC wall and there is increased risk of IVC injury if the filter is dislodged.

IVC filters

• Greenfield IVC filter
• TrapEase IVC filter
• OptEase IVC filter (retrievable)
• Vena-Tech IVC filter
• Simon Nitinol IVC filter
• Gunther Tulip IVC filter (retrievable)
• Bird's nest IVC filter
• Bard Recovery IVC filter (retrievable)
• Mobin-Uddin Umbrella IVC filter (no longer sold)

See also

• Pulmonary embolism
• Deep vein thrombosis

External links

• IVC filters- emedicine.com
• IVC filters- Medical College of Wisconsin
• IVC filter- GPnotebook.co.uk
• Inferior vena caval filters- UpToDate.com
• Greenfield filter- a popular IVC filter from Boston Scientific.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.
It uses material from the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inferior+vena+cava+filter Wikipedia article Inferior vena cava filter.