2009 Volume 20 Issue 3 Pages 257-263
A 33-year-old female had left leg pain and edema. Since enhanced multidetector CT revealed venous thrombosis from inferior vena cava (IVC) to calf and pulmonary thromboembolism, she was transferred to our department. As she was Jehovah’s Witnesses, systemic thrombolytic therapy was withheld for bleeding risk. After the implantation of the Günther Tulip IVC Filter as retrievable filter, anticoagulant therapy was begun. Cavogram on 26 days after filter implantation showed 1 cm × 6 cm sized thrombus below the filter. After the exchange of the filter, anticoagulant therapy was continued. As the repeated cavogram on 28 days after reimplantation of the filter demonstrated that the clot burden was reduced, the retrieval of the filter was attempted. Although the filter was not tilted, the superior grasping hook of the filter was surrounded by the small clot and the hook could not be snared by standard retrieval kit. Subsequently, an alternative method by creating a wire loop between the filter legs led to successful retrieval of the filter. No complications occurred during these procedures.
