“Millions of patients have IVC filters that are no longer indicated, and CavaClear helps physicians experienced in IVC filter retrieval work towards the goal of safely removing such devices, in line with regulatory guidance,” said Dr. Desai.
Dr. Desai treated the first patient with CavaClear at Northwestern Medicine by removing an IVC filter that was placed over 6 months prior for deep vein thromboembolism. An attempt to retrieve the filter was made approximately 4 months post implant at another institution, however, the procedure was unsuccessful and then referred to Dr. Desai. CavaClear was later successfully applied to quickly and safely free the embedded filter from the caval wall, enabling the patient to now be filter-free.
At Stanford Hospital, Dr. Kuo performed the first CavaClear retrieval on a chronically embedded IVC filter that was placed more than 16 years ago. The filter was rediscovered after the patient developed lifestyle-limiting pain and blood vessel occlusions related to the filter. Due to case complexity, none of the patient’s original physicians outside of the USA were able to provide a safe treatment plan and so referred the patient to the Stanford IVC Filter Clinic.
The patient commented on his experience, “I am so thankful to Dr. Kuo and the team for accepting me as a patient when none of my doctors back home would even attempt removal of my 16-year-old IVC filter, which was causing painful penetration and blood vessel blockage requiring blood thinners. The worst thing is that I was previously a cyclist and sportsman who used to ride more than 7000 miles per year, but after these blockages, I became so weak that I could not even climb the stairs of my home. I now look forward to exercising again. I want to thank all members of the team involved. I will never get tired of saying thank you!”
“We chose to use CavaClear on a chronic filter implant that was embedded for over 16 years and completely encased in scar tissue. Prior to our discovery of the laser technique, pioneered at Stanford [4], percutaneous removal would have been impossible, but the use of CavaClear allowed us to achieve successful removal within minutes – highlighting the first ever use of CavaClear to remove a chronic filter implant. Although the device is now cleared in the USA, embedded IVC filters remain a worldwide problem,” said Dr. Kuo.
“We are deeply moved to see Philips IVC Filter Removal Laser Sheath – CavaClear – have a positive impact on the lives of patients, and the ability to provide physicians with access to a safe, effective and efficient option for advanced IVC filter removal,” said Atul Gupta, MD, Interventional Radiologist and Chief Medical Officer for Image Guided Therapy at Philips. “These are just the first of many successful cases to come, and a testament of the Philips commitment to innovating procedures and solutions with physician collaboration to improve patient outcomes.”
