IVC Blood Clot Filter Defect Injury

When patients undergo surgery, they expect to experience improved health afterward. Unfortunately, many people who undergo surgery suffer from serious complications and deadly side effects. For example, many patients who received IVC Blood Clot Filter implants go on to suffer serious injuries. Defective medical devices can cause potentially deadly side effects and serious complications.

If you or your loved one has suffered an injury caused by a defective IVC blood clot filter, you may be entitled to compensation. The Charlotte personal injury lawyers at Arnold & Smith, PLLC have extensive experience advocating for clients who have suffered personal injuries due to medical malpractice.

The sooner you speak to an experienced lawyer, the better. Medical malpractice and defective product lawsuits are incredibly complex. The more time your attorneys have to research your claim and prepare your case, the better. Contact our Charlotte personal injury law firm today to schedule your free initial consultation.

Inferior vena cava filter, or IVC filter, is a metal device that traps large blood clots. The device prevents blood clots from traveling to the lungs and heart, causing dangerous, or possibly fatal injuries. Doctors use small incisions that are often minimally invasive to implant IVC filters into the largest vein in the patient's abdomen. This vein is known as the inferior vena cava.

Doctors usually use IVC filters to help patients who are recovering from accidents and surgeries. These medical devices help patients who are at high risk for pulmonary embolism. Oftentimes, doctors implant IVC blood clot filters when blood thinners are not an option, or they become ineffective.

When IVC blood clot filters work well, they help patients stay alive. Unfortunately, these devices can also bring about serious injuries and complications. In some cases, doctors fail to remove the retrievable filters when the patient's risk of pulmonary embolism is over, typically within a 29 to 54-day time frame. After that period, the potential harm of the IVC blood clots likely outweighs the benefit of the IVC blood clot filters. IVC blood clot filters can become clogged, resulting in severe leg pain, and causing a dangerous pulmonary embolism.

When IVC filters become clogged, the following dangerous medical symptoms can happen:

• Swollen legs
• A painful feeling of internal pressure in the legs
• Leg pain

When an IVC filter becomes clogged, the clot can block blood flow through the inferior vena cava. This vein brings blood to your lower and upper extremities through the abdomen into the heart. When this vein becomes clogged, you will experience less blood flow out of the legs and into the heart. As a result, a patient's legs can painfully swell up.

If your IVC filter has migrated or broken, you might experience the same symptoms of a clogged filter. Knowing the difference between these two happenings can help you better understand what is causing your symptoms. One of the most serious conditions is severe leg pain. Severe leg pain can prevent people from being able to go to work, take care of children, or engage in personal care habits.

Many people who need an IVC filter have been diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis. Unfortunately, many people with deep vein thrombosis suffer from severe leg pain. For these reasons, doctors do misdiagnose a migrating or clogged IVC vein for deep vein thrombosis. When this happens, injuries can take place. The longer a person waits for treatment, the more at risk the leg injury.

Severe pain in the back or abdomen can also be a sign that the IVC filter has broken or become dislodged and migrated somewhere else. If the pain is severe, the IVC filter might have perforated or punctured a vein and become lodged in an organ. When this complication happens, the patient needs medical help as soon as possible. Often, surgery is the only way to remove the IVC filter and repair any damage.

If you or a loved one have suffered injuries from IVC filters, you may be entitled to compensation. When medical malpractice or a defective product caused your injuries, it is important to speak to an experienced Charlotte personal injury lawyer as soon as possible. Contact Arnold & Smith, PLLC as soon as possible to schedule your free initial consultation.