[The percutaneous vena cava umbrella filter in the prevention of pulmonary embolism]

The Kimray-Greenfield filter is the most commonly used of all filters. Percutaneous insertion technique has made this filter more attractive also for interventional radiology. Its drawbacks are, in particular, the large calibre of the insertion instruments and its low effectivity in case of eccentric placing. Good results have been obtained to date with the specially developed cava filters that can be introduced percutaneously. Clinical and experimental studies have shown that some filters are particularly effective, such as the "basket filter"; at the same time, these have also a higher thrombogenicity. However, independent of the choice of the cava filter, it seems that the operatively inserted filters are increasingly a thing of the past.