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Serious Side Effects Of IVC Filters

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The most serious side effects of IVC filters are linked to filter fracture and/or migration. The filters often consist of a design containing thin wire “legs.” These legs can break of the device and travel within a patient’s bloodstream and become lodged in an internal organ, usually the heart or lungs.
If a filter does fracture, it may not cause any problems as the piece may erode in time. However, the piece may cause serious live threatening situations such as perforation of the heart tissue.
When migration occurs the filter shifts its position, and thus become ineffective at preventing a pulmonary embolism. It may in a more serious move, perforate the inferior vena cava or shift into a position where the device is impossible to remove.

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