[Percutaneously implanted permanent vena cava filter: follow-up of 117 consecutive patients]

Area of Science:

• Vascular Surgery
• Interventional Radiology
• Cardiology

Background:

• Pulmonary embolism (PE) poses a significant risk, especially in patients with contraindications to anticoagulation.
• Vena cava filters are utilized to prevent PE by trapping thrombi.
• Evaluating the safety and efficacy of different vena cava filter designs is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To retrospectively review the indications, insertion techniques, complications, and effectiveness of five different vena cava filter designs.
• To assess the outcomes of vena cava filter implantation in patients with acute deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and/or PE.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of 115 patients who underwent vena cava filter implantation over five years.
• Filters included Filcard, Antheor DC 3 perm, Trigon/Cardial, Titan-Greenfield, and LGM 30 D/U Vena Tech.
• Implantation was performed via femoral or jugular approach; follow-up data was available for 92 patients.

Main Results:

• Filter implantation was successful in 115 of 117 patients; 78% achieved orthograde position.
• Complications included filter dislocation (4 cases), access vein DVT (2 cases), and caval wall perforation (3 cases).
• Filter-induced vena cava thrombosis occurred in 15.2% and recurrent PE in 14.1% of cases, with a 5.4% mortality rate.

Conclusions:

• Vena cava filter implantation is technically straightforward and carries a low procedural risk.
• The observed rate of recurrent PE (14.1%) necessitates a critical assessment of filter effectiveness.
• Further research is needed to optimize filter design and patient selection for improved outcomes.