Study of Bard Vena Cava Filters

The medical community prefers to use vena cava filters that are made by Bard. The purpose of the vena cava filter is to keep blood clots from being able to move into the lungs. Researchers performed a study on vena cava filters, and two of these were the Bard G2 and Bard Recovery vena cava filters. During this study, the researchers found that both types of filters tend to break when they are inside the body. Patients who suffer injury from broken filters may be eligible to file litigation for inferior vena cava filter side effects.

The Archives of Internal Medicine will publish the results of this study in its November issue. Specifically, the article will state that portions of the filters broke away and traveled to other parts of the subjects’ bodies. This endangered their health and even caused death.

In April of 2003, Bard introduced the Recovery filter to the public. This particular filter is a vena cava filter that also goes by the name of IVC filter. The device had a tendency to break after being inserted into patients, so Bard decided to redesign the device in 2005. They named it the “Bard G2 vena cava filter.” This filter was marketed as a product that resists fracture much better than the previous one.

Since its inception, 65,000 patients have received the Bard G2 vena cava filter. They were placed inside the patients’ large veins that take blood from the lower body to the heart. The point of inserting the device was to make sure that blood clots will be trapped so that they cannot enter the lungs.

The subjects in the Archives of Internal Medicine study were evaluated between the years 2004 and 2009. The subjects received either the Bard Recovery or the Bard G2 vena cava filters at York Hospital. A total of 80 patients received a filter, and 13 of them experienced a fracture in their filters. The Recovery filters accounted for seven of these fractures with five pieces traveling to subjects’ hearts. This led to a buildup of fluid and rapid heartbeat. One person lost his life in this incident.

The Bard G2 subjects also experienced breakage of their filters during this experiment. Of the 52 people who participated in the study, six experienced fractures. The patient’s blood flow was blocked in two of the six cases. One blockage led to the liver, and the other led to the lungs. The remaining four patients’ fragments remained within close proximity of the filter.

At first, it seemed that the Bard G2 vena cava filter was less likely to fracture than the Recovery, but the researchers added a few more facts to the story. The patients who received the Recovery filter had their filters in place for 50 months. In contrast, those who received the Bard G2 filter only had theirs in place for 24 months. When comparisons were made, the researchers discovered that the time intervals were very much alike for both filters.

Apparently, Bard Recovery and Bard G2 vena cava filters both present a risk of breakage to patients. If you have been injured by an IVC vena cava filter, contact our law firm today to see whether you are eligible to file an IVC filter lawsuit. You may be eligible for monetary compensation.