Mechanism and Approach to Fractured Filters

The unintended consequence of implanted medical devices, like inferior vena cava filters, is metallic component fatigue and fracture. Filter fragments pose potentially dire health risks to patients, both immediately and potentially long term as well. Interventional radiologists play a key role in the management of fractured IVC filter fragments. Strategies include avoiding inadvertent fracture during retrieval, using advanced endovascular techniques for retrieval, and careful surveillance of retained fragments.