Since 1999, Jim Karnes has had a history of blood clots in his legs, also known as deep vein thrombosis, or DVT. When he developed a second clot in 2011, his doctor in Virginia inserted a small filter into the affected vein, the inferior vena cava (IVC), the largest vein in the body that carries deoxygenated blood from the middle and lower body to the heart. The IVC filters are used to prevent clots from entering the lungs, which can be deadly. Once the filter is in place, blood flows around the clot until the body breaks it down naturally. What Jim didn’t know was that the filter had been recalled and should have been removed 60 days after insertion.
In Fall 2015, Jim started to experience swelling and pain in his leg where the filter was located. Tests showed the end of the filter was broken, a clot had formed in the front of it, and a blood vessel had grown into the filter frame. Since doctors at two other hospitals were unable to remove the filter, Jim’s doctor recommended he see an interventional radiologist at the George Washington University Hospital.
Interventional Radiologist Albert Chun, MD, says there are two different types of IVC filters - permanent or “optionally retrieved.” The filter Jim had was not meant to be permanent, and removal options were limited because of the filter shape and its contact with the vein walls. “If the filter wasn’t removed precisely, the vein could tear, causing catastrophic bleeding,” says Dr. Chun. For Jim’s unusually complex procedure, doctors at GW Hospital used a special tool that hugged the walls of the vein, and they were able to successfully remove the filter.
Jim was excited with the outcome of his procedure. “Surgery took about five hours, but I went home the day after – Thursday – and was back to work on Monday,” he says. “I feel great! I went from desperation in the beginning, to being overwhelmed with gratitude for the care I received at GW Hospital.”
Learn more about deep vein thrombosis