Inferior vena cava filter

Tertiary care

Complication

Surgery

Mortality rate

Venous thrombosis

Thrombosis

Deep vein

Inferior vena cava

Medicine

European Journal of Internal Medicine

Venous thromboembolism (VTE), including pulmonary embolism (PE) and deep vein thrombosis (DVT), is a serious and potentially fatal disease, with an estimated annual incidence of 104–183 per 100,000 person-years in the general population [1]. Standard treatment for acute VTE is based on anticoagulation (AC). Nonetheless, when AC therapy is contraindicated, use of an inferior vena cava filter (IVCF) may be considered [2]. Several types of IVCF have been developed over time, including permanent and optional devices.

Why optional inferior vena cava filters are not always retrieved? A real world 19 years experience in a Swiss tertiary care university hospital.