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Radiology
Retrieval of an inferior vena cava Greenfield filter 34 years after insertion
  1. Amanda Ragland,
  2. Christopher Stevens,
  3. Nancy Bai,
  4. Chaitanya Ahuja and
  5. Chiranjiv Virk
  1. Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center Shreveport School of Medicine, Shreveport, Louisiana, USA
  1. Correspondence to Christopher Stevens; cms002{at}lsuhs.edu

Abstract

Inferior vena cava (IVC) filters are engineered medical devices deployed in the IVC primarily to prevent a pulmonary embolism from occurring. In this article, we present a case of an IVC filter that was successfully retrieved from a patient after being in place for 34 years. The patient presented to hospital for trauma in which subsequent imaging showed tines of an IVC filter protruding outside of the vessel with one of the tines penetrating the duodenal wall. The filter was successfully removed with no complications. This report adds to the existing literature by yielding an example of an adverse risk that can be associated with the placement of IVC filters. In addition, to the authors’ best knowledge, this is the longest reported length of time that an IVC filter has stayed in a patient before being removed, thus adding another intriguing detail to the case.

  • Interventional radiology
  • Trauma

https://doi.org/10.1136/bcr-2023-259053

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    Footnotes

    • Contributors The following authors were responsible for drafting of the text, sourcing and editing of clinical images, investigation results, drawing original diagrams and algorithms, and critical revision for important intellectual content: AR,CS, NB, CV and CA. The following authors gave final approval of the manuscript: AR, CS, NB, CV and CA.

    • Funding The authors have not declared a specific grant for this research from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.

    • Case reports provide a valuable learning resource for the scientific community and can indicate areas of interest for future research. They should not be used in isolation to guide treatment choices or public health policy.

    • Competing interests None declared.

    • Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.