Broken Wings: First Reported Cases of Fractured Angel® Catheters, a Temporary Combined Femoral Venous Catheter and Retrievable IVC Filter Device

There has been increasing use of a novel combined femoral venous sheath, catheter and retrievable self-expanding and collapsible diamond-shaped IVC filter (Angel® Catheter, BiO2 Medical), in severely injured patients who cannot receive anticoagulation. As the filter is not detached from the catheter/sheath, it should be easily retrieved. Outcomes included in large registries demonstrate a high safety profile and a 100% retrieval rate. However, at our institution—a Level 1 major UK trauma centre with 4 years of substantial experience in using this device—we’ve encountered three cases of device fracture and subsequent complicated retrieval dating from Dec 2016 to March 2017. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, we describe the first documented case series of fractured Angel® Catheters and their retrieval.