Patients who receive life-saving medical device implants like Cook IVC filters (inferior vena cava filters) expect that the devices will save their lives not put them at risk for life-threatening consequences. Yet that is what has happened to patients who received Cook Gunther Tulip IVC filters and Cook Celect IVC filters.
These patients have been put at risk of catastrophic complications thanks to the filters, including perforation of their vena cava, migration of the filter, and breaking of the filter’s struts.
At Patterson Dahlberg Injury Lawyers, our attorneys are highly experienced and fighting for justice on behalf of patients injured by medical device companies. We fight to ensure patients’ rights are protected and they obtain the maximum compensation they’re entitled to.
No patient should receive a life-saving medical device only to learn the device is actually harming them, especially not when the device has allegedly been defectively designed or manufactured.
Our clients trust us to fight tirelessly for them, which is how we’ve obtained more than $120 million for our personal injury clients.
We specialize in personal injury cases, so you know you’re receiving the best representation.
What is a Cook IVC Filter?
IVC filters—including the Cook Medical Inc. filters—are tiny implants put into a patient’s inferior vena cava. They look almost like cages, with struts designed to catch blood clots before they move to the lungs. Like other IVC filters, Cook IVC filters are used in patients who are at a temporary risk of deep vein thrombosis but cannot take blood thinners to stop the blood from clotting.
Retrievable filters are meant to be removed from the body when the risk of pulmonary embolism has passed, but in too many cases the filter is left in and the patient is put at risk of severe complications.
FDA Drug Safety Communication
In 2010, the FDA issued a safety communication regarding IVC filters. This communication was updated in 2014. In the IVC safety communication, the FDA notes it received reports of complications including:
- Device migration
- Embolization
- Perforation
- Filter fracture
In the 2014 update, the FDA noted that IVC filters should be removed between 29 and 54 days following implantation.
Cook IVC Filter Studies
Several studies suggest Cook IVC filters are linked to serious complications.
A 2015 study published in the Journal of Vascular Interventional Radiology compared the Cook Celect IVC filter with the Rex Medical Option. After comparing 99 Celect filters and 86 Option filters, researchers found that while both filters had similar retrieval rates, the Celect filter “had a significantly higher rate of strut perforation.”
A 2012 study published in the journal Cardiovascular Interventional Radiology examined perforation rates of the Cook Gunther Tulip IVC filter and the Cook Celect filters. The study found that all of the filters imaged on abdominal scans showed some degree of perforation of the vena cava.
In 40 percent of filters, researchers identified filter tilt (shifting out of position). The study led researchers to recommend IVC filters be retrieved as early as possible.
Gunther Tulip IVC Filter Lawsuit and Cook Celect IVC Filter Lawsuit
Thousands of patients have been implanted with Cook IVC filters and it is only as more news comes out about the filters that people are becoming aware that they may be at risk for filter failure. Cook IVC filter lawsuits have been filed alleging the company knew or should have known about the risks associated with its Celect, Celect Platinum vena cava filter and Gunther Tulip filter but did not adequately warn patients.
Lawsuits have been consolidated in a multidistrict litigation, MDL 2570, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana.
Cook IVC Filter Attorney
Patients rely on medical device companies to ensure their products are safe for use. When medical device companies fail to adequately design or test their products, patients’ lives are unnecessarily put at risk.
If you or a loved one received a Cook IVC filter, you may be entitled to compensation for any harm done or emotional suffering linked to the device. It’s vital you speak to an attorney right away, as the statute of limitations could prevent you from filing a lawsuit.
Attorneys at Patterson Dahlberg are highly skilled and experienced at medical device litigation. We’ve helped thousands of patients like you who have suffered a personal injury get justice for the wrongs done to them.
Contact an attorney at Patterson Dahlberg for a free consultation today.