Boca Raton IVC Filters Lawyer

Inferior Vena Cava (IVC) filters are small metal filters or “baskets” that are surgically placed in the bodies of people who are at risk of developing blood clots, either genetically or because of surgery or trauma. Many people are treated with blood thinners to prevent clots from forming and traveling to the lungs or heart, however, for those people who cannot take blood thinners, doctors use IVC filters.

The first IVC filters were introduced in 1979 as permanent devices. In 2003, the FDA approved retrievable IVC filters. With the introduction of the new, retrievable filters, the number of IVC filters placed in patients spiked from approximately 49,000 filters in 1999 to almost 260,000 filters in 2012.

If you have received an IVC filter and experienced an injury, a Boca Raton IVC filter lawyer can help. Contact an experienced Boca Raton mass torts attorney today to begin your case.

IVC Filter Warnings

Many patients who have received the retrievable IVC filters have experienced complications and injuries because their IVC filter has fractured or broken apart, or the entire filter has migrated from where it was initially implanted. Injuries that may necessitate contact with a Boca Raton IVC filter attorney include portions of the filter fracturing and puncturing the vein or other organs, migration of the filter to the heart, and/or the filter failing to prevent blood clots from traveling to the heart or lungs. Device migration is the most commonly reported adverse reaction, with embolism being the second most frequently reported complication, according to the FDA.

Retrievable (or temporary) IVC filters are intended to be placed and remain in the patient’s body for a short period of time. The FDA reported concern for those patients whose IVC filters remained implanted long after the risks of pulmonary embolism subsided. In 2014, the FDA released a revised safety update that recommends retrievable IVC filters be removed from patients between the 29^th and 54^th day after implantation, for those whose risk of PE subsided.

Legal Action on IVC Filters

Many individuals who received retrievable IVC filters filed legal claims against the manufacturers, claiming poor design and manufacturing and failure to warn of dangerous risks.  In 2010, the FDA published a report detailing that they had received greater than 900 complaints of adverse events related to IVC filters, including 70 filter perforations, 328 device migrations, 56 filter fractures and 146 embolisms. Scientific studies show there are five (5) types of retrievable IVC filters with the greatest risk of failure: Cook’s Gunther Tulip, Cook’s Celect, Bard’s Recovery, Bard’s G2, and Bard’s G2 Express. There are trials currently scheduled for late 2017 and throughout 2018 against Cook Medical and C.R. Bard, with claims pending for other manufacturers of retrievable IVC filters, as well.

How a Boca Raton IVC Filter Attorney Can Help

If you have received an IVC filter and experienced one of the many injuries associated with these devices, or if you currently have an IVC filter and are concerned for your well-being due to the risks, a Boca Raton IVC Filter lawyer can help. Call for a free and confidential case evaluation today.