As IVC Filter Lawsuit Cases Increase FDA Safety Statement Increases Public Scrutiny For IVC Filters

June 18, 2016 – – TheProductLawyers.com reports on a recent public safety statement issued by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in regard to IVC filters and the potential health risks associated with their use. IVC filters were approved by the FDA in 1979. When approved for use in 1979 only 2,000 devices were implanted but have increased dramatically to 167,000 in 2007. The IVC filter is designed for those people who are at risk of blood clots but are unable to use traditional blood-thinning drugs.

The IVC filter is a small cage-like structure that is implanted into the patient’s inferior vena cava veins, with the purpose of capturing blood clots before they reach the heart and lungs, thus reducing the risk of pulmonary embolism.

The FDA, in its public statement, and as reported by NBC News, has stated that the implants have the potential to fracture while inside the body. When this occurs the pieces can travel through the bloodstream to other more sensitive areas of the body such as organs and veins, thus possibly puncturing them. The pieces can also lodge in the intestines and other high-risk areas where the pieces cannot be surgically removed. Any such migration of pieces of the IVC filter could potentially cause serious health problems for the patient.

Due to the increasing number of incidences of fracturing of the filter, many patients have filed lawsuits against the numerous manufacturers of these devices, such as Cook Medical and C.R. Bard, alleging that the filters were designed defectively. As many await their day in court, more news is emerging about IVC filters that seem to be adding to the controversy and debate over whether or not the devices are safe to use.

For more information on IVC filters, to ask questions or to schedule a consultation, contact an attorney at Banville Law by calling (888) 997-3792.

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