What is Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT)?
Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) occurs when a blood clot forms in a deep vein. DVT is most common in the legs, but it can also occur in the arms, pelvis or other areas of the body. The greatest danger for people with DVT is a pulmonary embolism (PE), a life-threatening blood clot that forms in a vein and travels to the lungs, which can block the lung’s blood supply and cause shortness of breath, chest pain, and other symptoms. Although PE is uncommon, it can cause serious complications and can be deadly if it is not diagnosed and quickly treated.
Doctors treat DVT with medications such as blood thinners (anticoagulants). For patients who cannot tolerate or successfully be treated with blood thinners, an IVC filter is the next best option. The filter is often removed when the risk of pulmonary embolism has passed to avoid long-term complications.
What are Inferior Vena Cava (IVC) Filters?
An IVC filter is a small metal device that traps blood clots and prevents them from traveling through the inferior vena cava vein to the heart and lungs. IVC filters are used to treat deep vein thrombosis (DVT), a condition in which a clot develops in one of the deep veins of the leg or other parts of the body.
Do I need an IVC filter removal?
- Both temporary and permanent IVC filters should be evaluated for removal. Although permanent filters are not designed for removal, they can cause complications and can be removed if necessary.
- If you have an IVC filter that has been in place for six months or more, you should be evaluated because you are at risk of complications.
- IVC filters can be removed even after being in place for several years.
- Not all IVC filters should be removed if the risk of clots traveling to the lungs persists and if you cannot take blood thinners. In these instances, we recommend regular evaluations to avoid the risk of complications.
What to Expect From an IVC Filter Procedure
Typically, IVC filter placement and removal is performed as an outpatient procedure in the doctor’s office. Please arrange to have someone drive you home after the procedure.
FAQs
How do I get ready for the procedure?
Patients who are preparing for a thrombolysis/thrombectomy should eat a light meal on the night before the procedure, and they should not eat or drink anything after midnight. Our staff will provide you with more detailed information about which medications you may take in days before and on the morning of the procedure. You should arrange to have someone drive you home after the procedure.
What will happen during the procedure?
When you arrive at the interventional radiology suite, you will change into a gown and then you will lie face up on the procedure table. We will intravenously give you “conscious sedation” medications to help you relax and block any pain.
- To place an IVC filter: Using image guidance, a specially trained interventional radiologist will insert a catheter through a small incision in a vein in your neck or groin and advance it to the inferior vena cava in the abdomen. The IVC filter is placed through the catheter and into the vein. Once the catheter has reached the target location in the vein, the filter is released, allowing it to fully expand and attach to the blood vessel walls. The procedure is usually completed within one hour.
- To remove an IVC filter: Using image guidance, a specially trained interventional radiologist will insert a catheter through a small incision in a vein in your neck or groin and advance the catheter to the site of the filter. A removable IVC filter has a small hook or knob at one end that enables the catheter to capture the filter, close it, pull it into the catheter and then withdraw it from the body. We use advanced removal techniques for permanent or more complicated filter removals. Depending on the complexity of the filter, the removal procedure can take between one and four hours.
Are there any risks?
The risks of IVC placement and removal include bleeding, infection, and rarely a shift or movement of the filter after it is put in. Your doctor will go over the risks and benefits with you in detail.
After the Procedure
When the procedure is complete, you will rest in the recovery area. You will be closely monitored for several hours.
Patients who have had an IVC filter placed should schedule a follow-up in six to eight weeks to discuss if and when the filter can be removed.
Follow-up Care
If you have a IVC filter, it is important to receive follow-up care because the filters can shift position, damage the placement site, or cause other serious complications over time. Even permanent IVC filters carry risks and should be evaluated and removed if possible.
Be sure to schedule a consultation with an interventional radiologist to determine if your IVC filter should be removed, regardless of where or when it was placed. We will discuss your overall health, and we may schedule an imaging exam to determine the care that is best for you.
Our team has extensive experience with both standard filter removals and complicated cases, such as embedded filters, using the most advanced techniques available today.
Our Approach to Care
Comprehensive and Patient-Centered Care
At NewYork-Presbyterian Hudson Valley Hospital, you, the patient, are at the center of our approach to superior imaging and treatments that meet your individualized needs. Our fellowship-trained Columbia interventional radiologists perform all procedures. We explain the findings to you in easy-to-understand terms and work closely with your health care team so you can make educated and informed choices about your care.
Multidisciplinary Team Approach
Our interventional radiologists collaborate in multidisciplinary teams with NewYork-Presbyterian Hudson Valley Hospital’s highly skilled and dedicated physicians in specialties such as Internal Medicine, Oncology, Surgery, Urology, Women’s Health, Pediatrics, Cardiology, and Pulmonology to provide compassionate care that is specifically tailored to your needs.
Why Choose Us
World-Class Interventional Radiology Expertise
Our board-certified interventional radiologists from ColumbiaDoctors, the faculty practice of Columbia University Irving Medical Center, offer unmatched expertise and experience in the latest minimally invasive, image-guided procedures to diagnose and treat disease in the most complicated patients. Our team includes some of the most nationally and internationally renowned and respected interventional radiologists. In addition to caring for patients, they are also involved in educating residents, fellows, and medical students and in a wide range of research endeavors. Our interventional radiologists frequently collaborate with specialists throughout the NewYork-Presbyterian health care network, placing them at the forefront of advanced medical imaging and minimally invasive treatments.
Expertise in IVC Filter Placement and Removal for Deep Vein Thrombosis
IVC filter placement and removal for deep vein thrombosis are complex and challenging procedures that require expertise and a cautious approach. At NewYork-Presbyterian Hudson Valley Hospital, our board-certified interventional radiologists from ColumbiaDoctors, the faculty practice of Columbia University Irving Medical Center, offer unmatched expertise and experience in IVC filter placement and removal, even in the most complicated patients. Our center has the tools needed to remove all IVC filters without major surgery, along with physicians trained to perform these more advanced procedures. Advanced techniques include the use of lasers to break up tissue that forms around the filter as well as special grasping devices that can pull the filter out.
Cutting-Edge Technologies
At NewYork-Presbyterian Hudson Valley Hospital, we are continually committed to incorporating the latest cutting-edge imaging technologies into your care, including X-ray fluoroscopy, computer tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and ultrasound. Each new generation of equipment provides better outcomes and reduces the patient’s exposure to radiation.
Empowering Patients with Information
We encourage all prospective patients and their families to learn as much as possible about their medical condition and the available treatment options. Our interventional radiologists are available for consultations to confirm a diagnosis, get a second opinion, or help evaluate their treatment options.
Book Radiology Appointments via NYP.org/Connect
Patients can book Radiology appointments online via NYP.org/Connect as long as the patient has an Epic Order. Radiology appointments for X-Ray, ultrasound, bone density, echocardiogram, and limited CT and MRI scans.