IVC Filter insertion and removal

An IVC filter placement procedure uses image guidance to place a filter in the inferior vena cava (IVC), the large vein in the abdomen that returns blood from the lower body to the heart.

Blood clots that develop in the veins of the legs or pelvis occasionally break up and large pieces of the clot can travel to the lungs. An IVC filter traps large clot fragments and prevents them from traveling through the vena cava vein the the heart and lungs, where they could cause severe complications or even death.