Bard IVC Filter Attorneys
Bard is a manufacturer of inferior vena cava (IVC) filters. Bard Recovery and Bard G2 are two types of retrievable IVC filters. These medical devices are used to catch blood clots and prevent them from traveling to other parts of the body such as the lungs where blocked blood flow can cause serious damage such as pulmonary embolisms.
Retrievable filters are designed to be removed from the body once the threat of blood clots has diminished. They are often used to treat people who do not respond well to anti-coagulant drugs.
Problems with Bard Recovery and Bard G2 IVC Filters
From 2005- 2010, the FDA received 921 adverse event reports involving IVC filters. These reports contained 328 incidents of device migration, 146 occurrences of device detachment, 70 incidents of perforation to blood vessels or organs, and 156 instances of filter fracture.
The Bard Recovery filter was used from 2003 to 2005 for patients who were at a high risk for developing blood clots and did not respond well to anticoagulants. In September 2005, Bard released the G2 IVC filter with design changes from its Recovery filter it sold in the previous years. In August 2010, the Archives of Internal Medicine published a study that concluded the Bard Recovery and Bard G2 IVC filters have a “high prevalence of fracture and embolization, with potentially life-threatening consequences.”
IVC Migration Injury
IVC filter migration is the most frequently reported problem with the devices. Patient safety is put at a very high risk when these devices move from their original placement. The IVC filters are designed using struts that extend into the blood vessels to catch blood clots and keep them from traveling to other parts of the body. Filters that become dislodged from their location can move through the blood vessels and perforate blood vessels and organs causing very serious personal injury and death.
FDA Warning for Bard IVC Filters
In late 2010, the FDA issued a safety alert recommending that doctors with patients who have retrievable IVC filters consider removing the filter as soon as protection from the pulmonary embolism is no longer needed.
Bard IVC Filter Lawsuits
Many patients who have been implanted with the Bard Recovery and Bard G2 IVC filters have filed lawsuits alleging these IVC filter devices migrated, fractured, or perforated their blood vessels or organs causing serious personal injury. If you or someone you care about received a Bard Recovery or Bard G2 IVC filter and has been injured or died, contact us. Our product liability attorneys have extensive experience litigating claims against large pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers and can provide you with a free case evaluation.
