Clinical experience with the Mobin-Uddin vena cava umbrella filter

The Mobin-Uddin vena cava filter has been used at Boston University Medical Center since 1971. The umbrella filter has been placed in 128 high-risk patients with a mean age of 60 years, 42% of whom had malignancies. The operative morbidity consists of five wound hematomas, one misplaced umbrella, one retroperitoneal hematoma, and one acute vena cava occlusion, with a total operative morbidity of 6.2%. No patients died of the actual pacement, and the 30-day hospital mortality was 7.0%. Late sequaelae included an incidence of mild edema of 6% and severe edema of 16%. We know of no patients in our series who had recurrent pulmonary embolism. In our experience, the Mobin-Uddin vena cava umbrella filter is a safe, effective method of vena cava interruption in a high-risk population with a low operative morbidity and a low 30-day mortality.