Long-term follow-up of percutaneous vena cava filters: a prospective studyin 100 consecutive patients

Objectives: the long-term outcome in following insertion of inferior venn c ava (IVC) filters remains unclear, Design: prospective study. Material and Methods: one hundred consecutive patients received percutaneou s vena cava fillers between 1988 and 1993. The patients underwent clinical examination, abdominal X-lays and duplex ultrasound of the IVC, right inter val jugular vein and legs after a mean follow-up duration of 38 +/- 11 mont hs. Results: forty patients died after implantation (median 11.3 months; IQR: 1 .8-20.4 months). The cause of death runs known in 33 cases, and pulmonary e mbolism (PE) was suggested in three. Multivariate analysis revealed the mor tality rate to be significantly higher in cancer patients (relative risk of 2.13). The 3-year survival was 20% for cancer patients and 71% for patient s without cancer. Among the 60 living patients, thrombi were trapped in the filter in 10 cases, the filter tilted in four, was malpositioned in five a nd migrated in 29. These incidents were recorded as asymptomatic complicati ons, as opposed to seven IVC thromboses and 23 recurrent lower limb thrombo ses, which were considered as symptomatic complications. Conclusion: long-term major complications are not frequent. As expected, ca ncel was the only factor predicting mortality. IVC filters seem effective i n preventing PE.