January 21, 2016 January 21, 2016 – Patients are now being enrolled in a new study to assess the effectiveness and safety of inferior vena cava (IVC) filters — small medical devices implanted in the body to stop blood clots from reaching the heart or lungs. The five-year-long study will involve 2,100 patients at 60 medical sites around the country. PRESERVE (Predicting the Safety and Effectiveness of Inferior Vena Cava Filters) is the first clinical research trial to study the real world effectiveness and safety of retrievable IVC filters on such a large-scale basis.
Past Studies Report Dangers Associated with IVC Filters
Each year in the United States, between 350,000 and 600,000 people reportedly experience blood clots. As many as 180,000 people die as a result of pulmonary embolism, a clot that reaches the lungs. To address the problem, around 250,000 patients are treated with vein filters each year.
IVC filters are metal surgical devices that are designed to act like a cage that blocks a blood clot from getting to the lungs. Some IVC filters, however, are reported to move out of place and perforate major blood vessels.
In a study published in the Annals of Surgery, researchers questioned whether patients implanted with IVC filters after traumatic events actually received any benefit at all. They reviewed records of more than 800 patients who were treated with a vein filter after a traumatic event between 2010 and 2014. The researchers discovered that patients receiving an IVC filter did not receive a survival benefit, but did experience deep-vein thrombosis (DVT) at an increased rate. DVT is a blood clot that is usually formed in the legs.
Given the dangers posed, more than 200 IVC lawsuits have been filed against the medical device makers alleging that the manufacturers failed to warn of IVC risks.
Contact Waters Kraus Paul & Siegel to Learn More About Filing a Defective Medical Device Lawsuit
Waters Kraus Paul & Siegel is a national plaintiffs’ law firm devoted to helping families in personal injury and wrongful death cases involving unsafe medical devices, including metal-on-metal hip implants, transvaginal mesh and IVC filters, as well as other surgical tools. If you have suffered injuries or the death of a loved one associated with a defective medical device, contact us by email or call us at 800.226.9880 to speak with one of our attorneys, like Sara Coopwood in the firm’s Texas office, and learn more about how we can assist you with a medical device injury lawsuit or claim.
