IVC Filter Placement/Removal

An inferior vena cava filter, also known as an IVC filter, is a small, cone-shaped device that is implanted just below the kidneys within the vena cava— the vein that joins the primary veins of the legs and returns blood to the heart and lungs. IVC filters may be placed with the intent of either temporary or permanent filtration, which can influence which type of filter is used and where it is placed within the body.

The filter is specially designed to capture a blood clot—or embolism— that has broken loose within the legs and threatens to cause a blockage in the pulmonary artery. Modern IVCs are placed with a minimally invasive procedure using a catheter and imaging guidance (such as an x-ray) to ensure placement in the desired location, usually just below the junction of the inferior vena cava and the lowest renal vein. A temporary IVC filter is removed once there is no longer a risk of blood clots.

Patients typically receive light sedation for an IVC filter placement procedure. Removing an IVC filter is performed with the same type of minimally invasive procedure used to place it.