Dr. Steven Wang’s Recent Study on IVC Filters

On April 5th, 2016, Dr. Steven Wang presented at the annual Society of Interventional Radiology in Vancouver, Canada. Dr. Wang is an interventional radiologist from Palo Alto, California and is affiliated with Kaiser Permanente. In a retrospective study involving 96 patients he sought to understand the prevalence of long-term (greater than 46 month) complications of both permanent and retrievable IVC filters (IVCFs).Screen Shot 2016-03-13 at 11.57.34 AM

The study looked at all inferior vena cava filters implanted in patients from January 2007 through December 2009 at multiple health care facilities across the United States. Dr. Wang then identified all patients who had imaging of the filter taken at four years or more after implantation.  Of those patients (96), he then evaluated the imaging to determine whether or not the IVC filter had malfunctioned.

After reviewing the data, the authors concluded that device complications at four or more years after implantation “are relatively common.”  They also found that the Cordis OptEase and Trapease IVC filters suffered fracture rates of 37.5% and 23.1%, respectively.

Cowper Law has filed over a dozen lawsuits against the manufacturers of IVC filters in the last month.  A growing body of scientific research indicates that the risks of IVC filter implantation far outweighs any benefits.  If you have been implanted with an IVC filter, please call us at 877.LAW.3707 so we can discuss filing a lawsuit on your behalf.