Cook Celect IVC Filter Injury

Santa Clara, CA: Allegations of injury have been made against the makers of Celect vena cava filters including a defective products lawsuit.

The Celect IVC filter is a device implanted in patients to prevent blood clots. Specifically, they are used in patients at a risk of pulmonary embolism but cannot tolerate anticoagulant medications. The filters are implanted in the patient's inferior vena cava (which is the main blood vessel that returns blood from the legs and lower part of the body to the heart), and contain struts that stop blood clots before the clots reach the patient's lung.

In the lawsuit filed against Cook Celect vena cava filter, the plaintiff alleges the makers knew that the anchoring struts in the IVC were not capable of withstanding the “normal anatomical and physiological loading cycles” of the human body. However, the company allegedly continued to market the devices as safe and effective.

Additionally, the lawsuit claims that while Cook’s Celect IVC filters were designed to be retrievable, a study found that of 130 attempted retrievals made between July 2006 and February 2008, 33 failed. Reportedly, either tissue had grown around the small hooks of the IVC filters or the struts had penetrated the vena cava wall.

Despite the Cook IVC filters being subject to breakage, tilt, inability of removal, and migration, the company never warned doctors of these issues, the lawsuit alleges.

Additional claims state that in a study of 73 patients implanted with the Celect filter between August 2007 and June 2008, researchers found “a high incidence of caval filter leg penetration. Immediately after fluoroscopy-guided filter deployment in 61 patients, four filters (6.5%) showed significant tilt. Follow-up abdominal CT in 18 patients demonstrated filter related problems in 7 (39%), which included penetration of filter legs in 4 and fracture/migration of filter components in 1.”

As a result of the defective Celect IVC filter design, patients who have them implanted allege they are suffering permanent and continuous injuries, pain and suffering, disability and impairment.

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Published on Aug-21-17