- The title of this test or procedure
- The reason you are getting the procedure or test
- What results to expect and what they imply
- The risks and benefits of the test or procedure
- What the possible side effects or complications include
- When and where you are to have the test or procedure
- Who’ll do the procedure or procedure and what that person’s qualifications are
- What will happen if you did not have the test or procedure
- Any alternative tests or procedures to Consider
- When and how will you get the results
- Who to call after the procedure or test if you have questions or problems
- How much will you have to pay for the test or procedure
- Have any allergies
- Have had any recent changes in your health, such as a fever
- Are pregnant or think you might be pregnant
- Have ever had a problem with sedation
The veins on your legs have miniature valves that keep blood moving back up toward the heart. But a DVT may damage one or more of these valves. When this occurs, blood starts to pool in your legs. This may also happen if you’re immobile for a long time period. Normally, muscles in the leg help blood move up in the veins when the muscles contract. When blood flows very slowly through the veins, this increases the risk that cells in the blood will stick together and form a clot.
Next steps
It’s important to recognize that an IVC filter does not protect against DVT. You might still get a DVT. The filter helps to protect you from a life-threatening pulmonary embolism when you have a DVT. Before you agree to the test or the procedure make sure you know:
- Coldness or numbness in one of your limbs
- Bleeding at the site that does not stop with stress
- Swelling or pain at the incision site that gets worse
- Fluid leaking from the incision site
- Redness or warmth at the incision site
- Fever
- Chest pain
- Headache or nausea that don’t go away
Why might I need an inferior vena cava filter placement?
Follow any other instructions from your supplier. Call your provider right away if you have any of the following: Talk to your healthcare provider about what to expect during your process. It usually takes about one hour. The procedure is carried out by an interventional radiologist and a team of specialized nurses. A Normal process may go like this:
- Recent surgery, which reduces your mobility and increases inflammation in the body, which can lead to clotting
- Medical conditions that limit your mobility, such as an injury or stroke
- Long periods of travel, which limit your mobility
- Injury to a deep vein in the leg
- Inherited blood disorders that increase clotting
- Pregnancy
- Cancer therapy
- Smoking
- Obesity
- Older age
- Infection
- Excessive bleeding
- Allergic reaction
- Damage to the blood vessel at the insertion site
- Blockage of blood flow through the vena cava, which can cause leg swelling
- A filter that travels into the lungs or heart, causing death or injury
- A filter that pierces through the inferior vena cava, causing pain or damage to other organs
- Problem with placement of the filter
- Continued risk of a blood clot that travels to the lungs
However, some people have conditions which make this kind of medicine unsafe for them. They might have dangerous bleeding when taking blood thinners. This may include someone who has bleeding in the brain from a trauma or fall, or has bleeding in the digestive tract. Excess bleeding in these regions can be life-threatening. In such cases, your healthcare provider may rather advise an IVC filter alone to protect against pulmonary embolism.
What happens during an inferior vena cava filter placement?
Prior to the procedure, make sure to tell the healthcare team if you:
- An IV (intravenous) line will be set in your arm or hand before the procedure starts. You will be given sedation through the IV line. This can make you relaxed and sleepy during the procedure.
- Hair in the area of your procedure may be removed. The area may be numbed with a local anesthesia.
- Your doctor will make a small incision in this region to access a significant vein leading to the IVC.
- A long thin tube (catheter) will be inserted into this vein.
- Utilizing continuous X-rays (fluoroscopy), this tube will be moved up into the IVC. X-ray dye (contrast material) may be sent into the catheter. This helps show the IVC clearly on the X-rays.
- Your Physician will release the filter to the IVC. Here the filter will enlarge and attach itself to the walls of your IVC.
- The catheter will be removed.
- The incision on your neck or groin will be shut and bandaged.
What happens following an inferior vena cava filter placement?
A blood-thinning medicine such as warfarin is also used to treat those that are at risk of pulmonary embolism. But in some instances, they may be used along with the IVC filter. An IVC filter is one method to help prevent pulmonary embolism. The heart then pumps the blood into the lungs to pick up oxygen. An IVC filter is a small, wiry apparatus. When the filter is set in your IVC, the blood flows past the filter. The filter captures blood clots and stops them from going up to the heart and lungs. This will help to prevent a pulmonary embolism. An inferior vena cava (IVC) filter is a small device that could stop blood clots from going up into the lungs. The inferior vena cava is a large vein in the center of your body. The unit is set in during a brief surgery. Veins are the blood vessels which bring oxygen-poor blood and waste products back to the heart. Arteries are the blood vessels that bring oxygen-rich blood and nourishment to the body. A clot occurs when blood flow and clumps together.
What are the risks of an inferior?
You may need an IVC filter if you’ve got a DVT or pulmonary embolism or have had either of them previously. You might need an IVC filter if you have a high risk of getting a DVT. A variety of circumstances can increase your chance of getting a DVT, such as: You might have some pain after the procedure. You may notice a bruise where the catheter was inserted. You can take over-the-counter pain medications if you want to. Following the procedure, you will spend a couple of hours in a recovery room. You may be confused and tired when you wake up. Your health care team will watch your vital signs, including your heart rate and breathing. You’ll be given pain medicine if you require it. You may have a headache or nausea, but these should go away quickly. You might be able to go home the same day. When you are ready to go home, you’ll need to have a family member or friend drive you. DVT is a serious medical condition that can cause swelling, pain, and tenderness in your leg. In some cases, a deep clot in a leg vein can break loose and stick in a vessel in the lung. This may cause a blockage in the vessel known as a pulmonary embolism. Pulmonary embolism can cause severe shortness of breath and even sudden death. You’ll need continued monitoring after your treatment. You may require follow-up imaging tests to ensure that your filter is still in the proper location. If you’ve got the sort of IVC filter that may be removed, you could have a similar process in the long run to remove the device. This may be done after your risk of DVT has decreased. In some cases, a removable filter is left in place. This may occur if scar tissue grows around the filter and it can’t be removed.
How do I prepare for an inferior vena cava filter placement?
It’s important to understand that an IVC filters does not protect against DVT. You might still get a DVT. The filter helps to protect you from a life-threatening pulmonary embolism if you have a DVT. All procedures have risks. The dangers of the procedure include: Ask any questions you may have.
- You’ll be asked to sign a consent form that gives your permission to perform the procedure. Read the form carefully and ask questions if anything is not clear.
- Talk with your provider about the sort of IVC filter you will have. Some filters can be taken out if your risk of DVT is lower. Others are meant to stay in your IVC permanently.
- Tell your provider about all the medicines you take. This includes over-the-counter medicines like aspirin and all prescription medicines. Additionally, it includes herbs, vitamins, and other nutritional supplements. You may need to stop taking some medications before the surgery, such as blood thinners.
- If you smoke, you’ll need to stop before your operation. Smoking can delay healing. Talk with your provider if you require help to stop smoking.
- Don’t drink or eat after midnight the night before your surgery.
