Thousands of patients who have received Bard IVC filters – devices used to capture blood clots before they enter the lungs – may be entitled to file a legal claim against the manufacturers for design and manufacturing defects, negligent misrepresentation and breach of implied warranty, as well as failure to warn of risk. In addition to puncturing veins, these faulty filters have also migrated to other parts of the body and caused serious complications.
For years, surgeons have implanted IVC filters, also known as inferior vena cava filters, into the veins of patients who are unable to take blood thinners to prevent blood clots from moving into the lungs and creating a life-threatening pulmonary embolism. IVCs are intended to catch the clots in the bloodstream, so they can dissipate over time without causing any problems.
However, the FDA has since received hundreds of negative reports about these filters, citing complications including punctured organs and blood vessels, as well as reports of the filter migrating to different parts of the body. In 2010, the FDA warned that the filters should be removed as soon as the patient’s risk for blood clots subsides. In 2014, the FDA updated their report, stating that most devices should be removed within 54 days of being implanted. Unfortunately, these warnings came too late for many patients, as the filters had already caused substantial harm and – in some cases – even death.
The most common complications associated with Bard IVC filters (which include the Bard Recovery filter, the Bard G2 filter, and the Bard G2 Express filter) are:
- The filter could move, migrate or change positions. Or, it could become stuck in a different area of the body, lessening the effectiveness of the device and potentially causing organ damage.
- The filter could perforate, erode and cause damage to the inferior vena cava or other internal organs.
- A part of the filter can break off, travel through the body and cause severe damage to the heart and lungs.
- The surgeon could be unable to remove the IVC filter. This could occur because the device is embedded or protruding through a blood vessel or has migrated to an abnormal position inside the body.
- Hemorrhagic pericardial effusion, or excess fluid around the heart, may develop.
- In the most severe cases, complications associated with IVC filters may even result in death.
