Serious and Possibly Fatal Complication of the popular and widely used Bard inferior vena cava (IVC) filters.
A recent medical report has found that 25% of all Bard Recovery IVC filters and 12% of Bard G2 IVC filters fractured. These fractured filters have the potential become dislodged and caused serious and possibly fatal injury. 71% of the broken pieces migrated through the veins of the patient to the heart. Removal of the device may not be simple after fracture has occurred. The FDA has received more than 900 reports of adverse events.
Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT)t
Filter Fracture, Migration or Embolization
Injury to the Heart, Lung or Vena Cava
Hemorrhage
Cardiac or Pericardial Tamponade
Severe and Persistent Chest Pain
Shortness of Breath
Death
The Bard Recovery IVC filter and Bard G2 IVC filter were approved by the FDA without providing data regarding the safety of these medical devices. “The FDA is concerned that these retrievable IVC filters, intended for short term placement, are not always removed once a patient’s risk of pulmonary embolism (PE) subsides,” according to the FDA’s August 9, 2010 report.