Inferior Vena Cava Filter Replacement
What You Need to Know:
Inferior vena cava filter placement is a procedure to place a filter into your inferior vena cava (IVC). The IVC is a large blood vessel that brings blood from your lower body back to your heart. The filter is a small mesh strainer made of thin wires. It is placed in the center of the IVC to trap blood clots going to your heart or lungs. You may need an IVC filter if you have a blood clot in your leg. You may also need an IVC filter if your risk of blood clots is increased, such as after surgery or during pregnancy. You may need a temporary or permanent filter.
Your healthcare provider will insert a catheter (thin plastic tube) into a blood vessel in your neck or groin. An ultrasound or x-ray will be used to guide the catheter into you IVC. The filter will be pushed through the catheter and attached to the walls of the IVC. The catheter is pulled out and the filter is left in. Your healthcare provider will press firmly on the area where the catheter went in to stop any bleeding. After a few minutes, your healthcare provider will put a bandage on the area.
Overall, IVC filter placement and removal are a well-tolerated procedures that requires little downtime. As with any medical procedure, there are risks of complications. Although rare, damage to the blood vessel, bruising, bleeding or infection at the puncture site is possible. Your care team will discuss any possible risks with you prior to your procedure.
IVC filters have a high rate of success in reducing the risk of pulmonary embolisms, or blood clots traveling from the legs to the heart or lungs. As a minimally invasive procedure, IVC filter placement and removal offers numerous benefits, including smaller incisions, faster recovery time and lower risk of complications. By using a sedative instead of general anesthesia, patients can typically go home the same day.
