Bard G2 IVC Filter Lawsuit Filed by Illinois Woman

November 15, 2013 — C.R. Bard has been hit with yet another IVC filer lawsuit involving the G2 Inferior Vena Cava (IVC) filter. This lawsuit was filed by a woman from Illinois whose IVC filter fractured, causing fragments of metal to become lodged in her heart and lungs. Despite open heart surgery, she still has fragments of the IVC filter lodged in her lungs that cannot be removed.

What Happened?

According to the IVC filter lawsuit (PDF), in February 2009, Kelly Vlasvich underwent surgery in Illinois to implant a Bard G2 IVC filter. In December 2011, she was admitted to the hospital for moderate chest pain and discomfort that had gradually worsened over several days. She was suffering from nausea, vomiting, sweating, difficulty breathing, cough, weakness, and dizziness. Two days later, she was diagnosed with cardiac tamponade (fluid around the heart) and underwent a medical procedure to drain the fluid.

When this procedure failed to alleviate her chest discomfort, she underwent a CT scan. This showed fractured pieces of metal in the right ventricle of her heart and right lung. These were determined to be the “spokes” that broke off a defective IVC filter and migrated. Images showed that the IVC filter had only 9 struts remaining from the original 12.

On December 22, 2011, Vlasvich had open-heart surgery to remove the G2 IVC filter struts from her heart and lungs. Doctors could only remove two struts; two others were left in her body because removing them would be too dangerous. On December 30, she underwent another open surgery to remove the defective IVC filter. She continues to suffer from pain, disfigurement, and two fractured struts that are permanently embedded in her lungs.

What is the problem with the Bard G2 IVC filter?

C.R. Bard manufactures the G2 IVC filter. This device is implanted in a patient’s inferior vena cava (IVC) to filter blood clots before they can enter the lungs and cause a pulmonary embolism. The G2 is designed with 12 “struts” that catch blood clots.

The problem with the Bard G2 IVC filter is that its design is based on the Recovery Filter System, which was linked to a 20-30% rate of fracture. The G2 and Recovery both have 12 struts, they are made of the same material, and they are implanted in the same way. Although Bard claims the G2 is safe, it is associated with severe side effects, including:

• Fracture and/or migration
• Bleeding
• Cardiac or pericardial tamponade
• Chronic pain
• Perforation of organs, tissue, blood vessels, or the inferior vena cava
• Need for emergency open heart surgery
• Disability
• Disfigurement
• Death

IVC Filter Lawsuit Information

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