Tine after tine: a varied approach to the removal of a long-standing IVC filter

• Main Authors: Andrew Delozier, Melhem Ghaleb, MD, Alonso Andrade, MD
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier 2017-06-01
• Series: Radiology Case Reports
• Subjects: Endovascular IVC filter removal; Intervention
• Online Access: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S193004331630317X

Inferior vena cava filters are important tools used to help prevent life-threatening pulmonary embolisms in hospitalized patients with contraindications to pharmacological prophylactic anticoagulation. This is a case report of a patient who had an inferior vena cava filter placed after a traumatic subdural hematoma. He made a complete recovery but was lost to follow-up until he presented 1825 days after filter deployment with abdominal pain discovered to be from penetration of the filter tines outside the lumen and into adjacent structures. We describe a case complicated by fibrotic tine entrapment with penetration to surrounding structures and discuss the technical approach used to free and eventually remove the long-standing filter.