Many patients who have suffered a traumatic spinal cord injury may obtain an inferior vena cava prophylactic filter. However, new research shows that these patients may face larger risks for venous thromboembolism when compared with those patients who undergo a different type of procedure.
The IVC filter study has caused scientific and medical researchers to question the effectiveness of IVC filters. The research results were recently shared at the New York Surgical Society meeting. In the study, more than 69,000 patients who suffered traumatic spinal cord injury were analyzed with regard to how an IVC filter insertion worked.
Patients with an IVC filter were much more likely to experience a pulmonary embolism than those patients who underwent a different type of treatment known as chemoprophylaxis.
Doctors Recommend Re-Evaluating Dangers of IVC Filters
The doctors involved in completing the research study argue that given the comparative costs and the problems with IVC filters, that doctors should carefully evaluate whether a mandatory IVC filter installation for spinal cord injury truly makes sense.
This policy may need to be revised because of the higher risk of pulmonary embolism. Those patients who suffer a pulmonary embolism may have grounds to file a legal claim for a defective medical device.
One of the most common problems that hospitals across the country are already facing has to do with patients returning to the hospital to have the device removed after it has been implanted. This recent IVC filter study has identified serious risks for patients who use these devices..
Follow up is a serious problem in all trauma populations, however, with those patients who have serious spinal cord injuries, the potential risks may outweigh the benefit when using an IVC filter.
Getting Help After an IVC Filter Injury
If you or someone you know has been injured due to the kinds of problems raised in the IVC filter study after a spinal cord injury, getting help from an experienced lawyer is strongly recommended. Other patients who have sustained injuries from an IVC filter are reporting these problems to their doctors and beginning to file lawsuits.
If it can be shown that the maker of any medical device, including an IVC filter, knew about unreasonable risks and failed to share them, or that the company developing the device should have known about the problems, then individual or class action lawsuits may be filed. Medical device manufacturers have a responsibility to conduct appropriate research and do everything possible to minimize patient risks.
Once a product has been approved, the public may believe the device is safe for general use and may therefore opt for that device or solution instead of something else. Discovering too late that the device is unsafe or causes other medical problems can be a devastating situation.
No patient should have to suffer the consequences of any medical device that may not be safe for consumer or patient use. The lawyers at McDonald Worley work hard on behalf of patients injured by defective medical devices. Contact them today for a FREE case evaluation.
